The Chicago Cubs went into triage mode on Thursday, swinging a deal for left-hander David Peterson from the New York Mets as they scramble to patch a rotation that has been gutted by injuries. President Jed Hoyer called the trade a first step and admitted, "We kind of have a rotation on the IL right now." The move is a short-term plug and a calculated bet that better defense and a change of scenery can jolt a pitcher who was an All-Star last season back into form.
Cubs Move Fast As Injuries Pile Up
According to MLB.com, Chicago sent first-base prospect Cole Mathis to New York in exchange for Peterson. The 30-year-old southpaw is 3-6 with a 6.09 ERA over 68 innings this season and is set to hit free agency at year’s end, though he was an All-Star in 2025. MLB.com also notes the Cubs had been talking to the Mets about Peterson for roughly six weeks before finally pulling the trigger.
How Bad Is The Rotation?
The trade followed a brutal run of injury news. The Cubs placed Edward Cabrera (left hamstring/adductor) and Ben Brown (neck strain) on the injured list Wednesday, where they joined Jameson Taillon, Cade Horton and Justin Steele. As the Chicago Sun-Times reported, Hoyer said the front office is scouring "small trades, waiver-wire [pick-ups], released players" in a search for innings. That sense of urgency helps explain why the Cubs acted now instead of waiting for the trade-deadline crunch later this summer.
What Peterson Brings
MLB.com reports Peterson is expected to travel with the team and could slide into the rotation as soon as this weekend’s series in Milwaukee. The Cubs are banking on his contact-management profile playing up in front of their elite infield defense, hoping that combination can cut into the damage even if his surface stats look rough right now. If he recaptures even part of his 2024 form, Chicago’s rotation suddenly looks a lot less fragile.
Chicago also grabbed right-hander Bryse Wilson on a waiver claim Wednesday to add another veteran arm. Manager Craig Counsell called Wilson an "‘I’ll do whatever I need to do, do whatever it takes’ type of competitor," per the Chicago Sun-Times. Wilson’s recent numbers have been uneven, but he offers versatility and length for a staff that is simply trying to survive turn by turn right now. For the moment, Wilson and Peterson are stopgaps while the Cubs keep combing the minors and the waiver wire for innings.
What This Trade Means
Local beat coverage notes the Cubs paid a real price to stabilize the rotation. They shipped out Cole Mathis, a 2024 second-round pick who already ranked among Chicago’s top prospects, to land Peterson. That cost underlines just how thin the team’s options have become, according to Cubs Insider. The front office has bought itself a bit of breathing room, but Hoyer’s comments made it clear this is only the beginning. Expect more small trades, waiver shuffles and internal promotions as the Cubs try to keep a playoff push on track while waiting for their rotation to heal.
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