Report: Chicago Cubs farm system eyed by New York Mets scouts amid trade buzz

The Chicago Cubs have an urgent need for pitching ahead of the August 3 MLB trade deadline. The New York Mets have an urgent need to dump salary and fortify their farm system after a disastrous 2026 season.

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So, it would seem like a Cubs-Mets hookup in the six days or so before the coming deadline would be a reasonable possibility. After all, the teams already came together for a trade on June 25 when the Mets swapped lefty pitcher David Peterson to the Cubs for prospect Cole Mathis.

Mets eyeing Cubs farm system?

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Pat Ragazzo of Athlon Sports has added fuel to the speculative fire with his report on Tuesday that the Mets are actively combing through the Cubs’ Double-A ranks:

“Heard the Mets have had scouts on the Cubs’ minor league system, specifically in Double-A

NYM have pitching that fits the Cubs: Freddy Peralta, Clay Holmes, Brooks Raley, A.J. Minter, Luke Weaver and Huascar Brazoban”

Now, of course, all teams have scouts just about everywhere, all the time. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that a seller with pitching to swap is spending extra time eyeing a buyer in desperate need of pitching.

But in the particular case of the Cubs and Mets, the pairing is so logical that it almost seems like a foregone conclusion that some sort of trade will be made. It should also be noted that the Cubs’ no. 2 prospect shortstop Jefferson Rojas is at the Double-A level.

Cubs’ possible targets

Among Mets starting pitching, Clay Holmes is the most logical Cubs target. Although he’s still going through his minor league rehab assignment from a fractured right fibula suffered on May 15, the groundball specialist fits right into the Cubs’ strengths on defense. Provided he’s healthy and ready to go, he’d be the ideal pickup.

With a $12 million player’s option next season, most would probably consider Holmes a rental. But given the labor dispute uncertainties facing 2027, the 33-year-old could opt to take the guaranteed money, stay with the Cubs, and hope to land a bigger contract in 2028.

The other big name in the Mets rotation is Freddy Peralta. He’s having a down year, but he’s still a pitcher with a significant history of success behind him, plus a certain comfort level in working with former Brewers manager Craig Counsell.

In the bullpen, New York has a virtual treasure trove of Cubs-friendly assets. Closer-capable Luke Weaver would be the biggest pickup for Chicago, especially considering that he’s under team control through next season. However, names like A.J. Minter, Brooks Raley, and Huascar Brazoban could be very valuable acquisitions as well. The Mets would also probably do back flips of joy if the Cubs would take Devin Williams—and his $51 million contract—off their hands, although that’s not very likely.

As things stand for the Cubs right now, the team needs at least one front-of-rotation starter and a closer-capable reliever to make a serious run at postseason success. In a perfect trade deadline world, they’d add even more because, as the team has definitely learned this injury-plagued season, you can never have enough pitching.

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