Even Objective Observers Believe Cubs ‘Absolutely Killed This Deadline’
As high as (most) Cubs fans are about the coup Jed Hoyer pulled at the trade deadline, it’s possible some objective observers feel even more strongly about the recent upgrades. Hoyer was aggressive without being reckless, moved big prospects without completely strip-mining the farm system, and managed to improve both depth and upside for his pitching staff. And though two games don’t prove anything, winning a series against the Dodgers right after the deadline sets a nice precedent.
Buster Olney gave them an A+ during a conversation with fellow ESPN ball-knowers Jeff Passan and Tim Kurkjian. The consensus was that Kevin Gausman and Clay Holmes could be tabbed to start the first two games of a playoff series, mainly because both can miss bats and generate grounders in front of an elite defense. Passan even said that another MLB pitcher texted him prior to the deadline to jokingly ask if he could be traded to the Cubs.
“I thought the Cubs absolutely killed this deadline,” Passan said.
“I thought the Cubs absolutely killed this deadline.”@JeffPassan, @Buster_ESPN, and @Kurkjian_ESPN on one of the biggest winners of the MLB trade deadline. | @ESPN1000 pic.twitter.com/06BmzBT8Cq
— ESPN Podcasts (@espnpodcasts) August 4, 2026
Moving a little closer to the source of the action, we’ve got Chicago native Russ Dorsey of Yahoo Sports, MLB Network and Apple TV. Normally a very harsh critic, Dorsey gave the Cubs the highest marks possible when discussing their moves with 104.3 The Score’s Rahimi, Harris, & Grote on Tuesday.
“I would give the Cubs an A+,” Dorsey said. “I believe they had the best trade deadline of any team in Major League Baseball, and that includes the Los Angeles Dodgers.”
“I would give the Cubs an A+,” says @Russ_Dorsey1 on the Cubs’ deadline acquisitions.
“I believe they had the best trade deadline of any team in Major League Baseball, and that includes the Los Angeles Dodgers.” pic.twitter.com/tEA1xWh6cW
— 104.3 The Score (@thescorechicago) August 4, 2026
The Cubs didn’t add the top pitcher on the market, but they landed two of the top available starters to go with what many believe was a highly underrated deal for reliever Ryan Zeferjahn. Getting Zeferjahn — who actually proposed to his fiancée at Navy Pier last year — from the Angels felt like when I saw a first edition copy of Stephen King’s The Dark Tower II: The Drawing of the Three by Grant Publishers at Half Price Books. It was so mint that it had a plastic slipcover protector and the original mail-order from Grant.
I almost felt like I was getting away with something, and I was happy to hand over the $200 to acquire it because that kind of opportunity wouldn’t come around again. Zeferjahn falls into a similar known-but-niche bucket in that his name wasn’t among those being widely discussed even though he’s a stuff monster who MLB.com’s Mike Petriello named alongside Mason Miller and Jacob Misiorowski.
That’s because Zeferjahn’s cutty four-seam, a pitch type the Cubs really like, is among the best in the game. No pitcher in MLB has held opponents to a lower batting average (.087) or slugging percentage (.109) on any pitch type than what Zeferjahn has gotten on his fastball. Only Tyler Rogers and Kendry Rojas generate more late swings on any pitch, only Miz and Miller get more whiffs, and no one gets more swings under the ball.
Ed. note: I can imagine the following conversation in the Marquee booth…
Boog: What do you call the breeze created when opposing batters swing through this guy’s fastball, JD?
JD: Why, that’d be a zephyr, Jon.
Oh, he’s also got a decent sweeper.
Allow us to introduce you to Ryan Zeferjahn’s sweeper: pic.twitter.com/1S1qHGStpL
— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) August 5, 2026
And the best part? Zeferjahn is under control through 2030 as a high-leverage reliever who will eventually pair with Daniel Palencia to lock down the late innings. Zeferjahn is also on a league-minimum salary and won’t be arbitration-eligible until 2028, at which point he still isn’t likely to earn a massive raise. That’s why the Cubs were willing to part with Moisés Ballesteros and Mason McGwire, a very high price at first blush.
After years of waiting for Hoyer to add a big reliever on a multi-year deal, he finally did it. Just not in the manner most were expecting. This wasn’t about picking up rentals for an all-in run, even though that’s what both big starters could end up being. Hoyer proved that his team is here to win now, and he managed to supplement that competitiveness without mortgaging the future.
We’ll have to wait for the final exam to establish the Cubs’ GPA for the season, but they just nailed the midterm and are looking good for the rest of the semester.
