Cubs trade for right-hander Clay Holmes and outfielder Tyrone Taylor from Mets

Chicago acquired right-hander Clay Holmes and outfielder Tyrone Taylor from the New York Mets in a trade that sends infielder Jefferson Rojas to New York, sources told ESPN. The transaction is subject to a standard medical review. Holmes, 33, missed two months after a broken leg sustained on a 111.1 mph comebacker on May 15. Before the injury he posted a 2.39 ERA, and he has a reputation for generating ground balls, a skill the Cubs hope will be useful in the postseason. He pitched a rehab start for the Class A Brooklyn team, allowing four runs (three earned) on seven hits over 5⅓ innings. Holmes is not a guaranteed free agent after the season because he holds a $12 million player option for 2027, which he is expected to decline.

"Holmes' conversion from reliever with the Yankees to starter with the Mets has been successful, as he compiled a 3.26 ERA across 40 starts in two seasons in Queens," the report noted. Holmes relies on a seam-shifted sinker, a kick changeup and a sweeper, and he has thrown more than 70 innings in a season only once, in 2025 when he logged 165⅔ innings for the Mets. Taylor, the Mets' primary reserve outfielder, missed time earlier this season with a right hip flexor strain. He is batting .241 with 10 home runs and 28 RBIs. Rojas, once a top prospect for Chicago, saw his path to regular in-field playing time blocked by established players and was considered a likely trade candidate as the Cubs sought to improve their pitching staff. In related moves, Chicago also obtained right-handed reliever Ryan Zeferjahn from the Los Angeles Angels for catcher/designated hitter Moisés Ballesteros and minor-league right-hander Mason McGwire, and sent right-hander Jace Beck and first baseman Jonathon Long to the Miami Marlins for left-hander Braxton Garrett. ESPN contributors Kiley McDaniel and David Schoenfield added to the report.