Cubs boost staff with RHP Ryan Zeferjahn, LHP Braxton Garrett

The Chicago Cubs acquired a pair of pitchers in separate deals Monday, landing right-handed reliever Ryan Zeferjahn from the Los Angeles Angels and left-handed starter Braxton Garrett from the Miami Marlins.

The Angels acquired catcher/designated hitter Moises Ballesteros and minor league right-hander Mason McGwire for Zeferjahn.

In the swap for Garrett, the Cubs sent Triple-A first baseman Jonathon Long and minor-league right-hander Jace Beck to the Marlins.

Zeferjahn, 28, was 4-3 with four saves and a 3.66 ERA in 45 relief appearances for the Angels this season. He has stacked up 75 strikeouts versus 29 unintentional walks over 51 2/3 innings. He became a full-time big leaguer in 2025, when he went 6-5 with two saves and a 4.74 ERA in 62 appearances with Los Angeles.

Garrett, who turns 29 on Wednesday, was a key part of the Marlins' rotation in 2022-23. He fashioned a 12-14 record and a 3.63 ERA in 48 appearances (47 starts) over those two seasons.

But Garrett has pitched just 41 1/3 innings since as he underwent Tommy John surgery in December 2024. It was the second major elbow surgery of his career.

Garrett has spent most of this season with Triple-A Jacksonville, where he compiled a 4-4 record and 2.90 ERA in 15 starts and one relief appearance. He posted 83 strikeouts versus 29 walks in 77 2/3 innings, which does not match the command he showed in 2022-23.

The Marlins gave him two starts this season and he managed an 0-1 record with a 14.84 ERA as he surrendered seven runs, seven hits and eight walks over 4 1/3 innings. His most recent appearance in the big leagues came May 19 versus Atlanta.

Ballesteros, 22, was regarded by Baseball America as the game's No. 36 prospect before spending most of the first half of this season with the Cubs. After a fast start, he finished with a .231/.303/.385 slash line with six homers and 23 RBIs in 59 games before being sent to Triple-A Iowa.

McGwire, 22, is the son of former major league slugger Mark McGwire. He participated in the 2026 Futures Game two days before the MLB All-Star Game in Philadelphia. He has split this season between the Cubs' Single-A affiliates, South Bend and Myrtle Beach, and posted a 3-4 record with a 3.64 ERA over 59 1/3 innings. He compiled 72 strikeouts versus 24 walks.

Long, 24, has spent all of 2025 and 2026 with Triple-A Iowa and amassed a .296 average with 32 homers and 155 RBIs in 239 games.

Beck, 26, has split this season between Triple-A Iowa and Double-A Knoxville. Over nine starts and 16 relief appearances, Beck has posted a 6-3 record with a 3.62 ERA. He has piled up an eye-popping 14.0 strikeouts per nine innings (116 whiffs in 74 2/3 innings).

--Field Level Media