Cubs Reportedly Trade for Marlins' Braxton Garrett Amid Reid Detmers Buzz, Updated Rotation

Having already acquired Kevin Gausman to help stabilize their rotation for the stretch run, the Chicago Cubs are taking a flyer on Braxton Garrett as a wild-card option for their starting staff.

ESPN's Jeff Passan first reported the Cubs were acquiring Garrett from the Miami Marlins.

Per The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal, the Marlins are getting Jonathon Long and Jace Beck in return. There had been speculation the Cubs were acquiring Reid Detmers from the Los Angeles Angels, but ESPN's Jesse Rogers reported no such deal was in place at this point.

Cubs' Updated Pitching Rotation

• Kevin Gausman, RHP
• Matthew Boyd, LHP
• Javier Assad, RHP
• Shota Imanaga, LHP
• David Peterson, LHP
• Braxton Garrett, LHP

Chicago also made a move to help its bullpen, acquiring right-handed reliever Ryan Zeferjahn from the Angels, per Passan.

Unlike Gausman, who is set to become a free agent after this season, Garrett could end up being more valuable as a long-term play for the Cubs than a significant contributor to the stretch run in 2026 since he is under team control for two additional seasons beyond this year.

Garrett has made two starts this season and nine dating back to the start of 2024. He missed the final three months in 2024 due to a strained flexor in his left forearm, then underwent UCL revision surgery in January 2025 that kept him out all of last year.

The left-hander's two MLB appearances this season were in a five-day span from May 14-19. He allowed seven runs on seven hits and eight walks in 4.1 innings across those two games and has been pitching in Triple-A Jacksonville since May 27.

Garrett's minor-league stats are encouraging about his progress. He has a 2.90 ERA with 83 strkeouts and 29 walks in 77 innings across 16 appearances (15 starts).

A first-round pick in the 2016 draft, Garrett made his MLB debut in 2020. His best stretch came from 2022 to '23 when he had a 3.63 ERA and 246 strikeouts in 247.2 innings over 48 appearances.

The Cubs could try to use Garrett out of the bullpen just to give themselves as many options as possible since their entire pitching staff is a concern looking ahead to the playoffs if they get in.

Zeferjahn will certainly pitch out of the 'pen for the Cubs. He could be an under-the-radar impact addition because his 13.1 strikeouts per nine innings this season ranks first among all relievers with at least 50 innings pitched.

Combine Zeferjahn's swing-and-miss stuff with a Cubs team that has far and away the best defense in MLB for the rare occasions when hitters put the ball in play against him, he could potentially swing a playoff series.

Miami's return is effectively trying to get something out of a player whose value has cratered in the past three years. Long, who was ranked as the No. 10 prospect in Chicago's system, is hitting .283/.364/.455 in 99 games at Triple-A this season.

Beck is a right-handed reliever who has shown a strong ability to miss bats in the minors. He has 306 strikeouts in 202 innings over 128 games since 2019, including a career-high 116 punchouts so far this season.