Cubs circle back to trade with Marlins amidst Reid Detmers deadline chaos

As we all anxiously await to learn whether or not the Chicago Cubs landed Reid Detmers, Jeff Passan confirmed the acquisition of a different left-hander - Miami Marlins southpaw Braxton Garrett.

This trade is nowhere near as exciting as the potential Detmers deal, given Garrett is yet to consistently establish himself at the big-league level and has just over 40 MLB frames under his belt since the end of the 2023 season. It's a clear upside play, with Jed Hoyer hoping the former first-rounder can find his footing in the years to come.

Garrett underwent Tommy John surgery back in 2017, just four starts into his pro career, and then underwent UCL revision surgery in 2024, costing him the entire 2025 campaign. He has spent much of this year at Triple-A, where he's worked to a 2.90 ERA in 77 2/3 innings of work to go along with a sub-1.00 WHIP.

Could Cubs look to convert Braxton Garrett to a reliever this summer?

He's almost exclusively pitched as a starter in his career, but we'll see what the Cubs' plans are for him. Arbitration-eligible through 2028, Garrett could (at least in theory) look to force his way into the rotation picture next year, but given the current mix of starters in Craig Counsell's arsenal, I wonder if we'll see him out of the pen down the stretch. At his best, he gets a lot of chase, something you always want out of a reliever.

Going back to Miami in the deal is Jonathon Long, who really had no clear lane to regular at-bats at the big-league level in Chicago, and right-hander Jace Beck, the organization's #10 and #28 prospects, respectively, according to MLB Pipeline. It's a deal that doesn't really hurt the Cubs either in 2026 and, best case scenario, they turn him into their latest reclamation project success.

That all being said, he by no means checks off the team's goal of either acquiring two proven starters and one reliever or one proven starter (already accomplished in the Kevin Gausman trade) and a pair of bullpen arms. He's nice depth, but can't be considered a major acquisition given his injury history and lack of consistent success at the big-league level.

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