Cubs News: Grading the Trade: Taylor Rogers

Jeff Curry - USA Today Sports

Dustin Riese · Senior Writer · 2 hours ago

You could make the case that this season's MLB Trade Deadline was not only a colossal failure for Jed Hoyer and the Cubs organization, but it could go down as one of their worst trade deadlines in quite some time. Yes, they were buyers this season as opposed to past seasons, but with so many needs to address, the Cubs did a poor job filling those needs.

Entering the deadline, the Cubs needed a massive bat in their lineup, two starters, and bullpen help, especially in the middle innings. The Cubs got some of the bullpen help they needed, but they failed to add a front-line starter, which is going to come back to haunt them as the season goes on.

The one argument Hoyer and the Cubs can make is that Jameson Taillon and Javier Assad are set to return from the IL, and if either of them pitches the way they are capable of, it essentially becomes an additional trade deadline piece without giving up capital to get a deal done.

With less than five minutes to go until the deadline passed, the Cubs managed to make one last move and added veteran left-hander Taylor Rogers to their pen.

Rogers had a whirlwind 48 hours, going from Cincinnati to Pittsburgh as part of the Ke'Bryan Hayes deal and then Pittsburgh to the Cubs to end the deadline. The left-handed version of the Rogers twins, Taylor is 34 years old and has been known for being one of the more reliable left-handers in the game.

Even if the underlying numbers don't look great, Rogers has been impressive this season as he has posted a 2.45 ERA across 40 games, walking 19 and striking out 34. The walks are a massive concern as he is enduring the highest walk rate of his career, but for the most part, has done a great job limiting the damage when runners get on base.

Looking at his entire career, Rogers has appeared in 549 games, going 30-36 with an ERA sitting at 3.28. That is all you can ask for from a reliever, and he will be joining a Cubs bullpen group that has taken some lumps as of late.

To create room for Rogers on the roster, the Cubs elected to cut ties with Ryan Pressly, who was DFA'd. Pressly got off to a horrible start, only to bounce back, but is once again struggling to get guys out as his ERA has risen to 4.65 for the season. Pressly has also allowed a homer in four straight appearances and five of his last six, which has been a massive problem all season.

Even if this doesn't seem like an impact move, Rogers is going to fit well in the Cubs' pen, and for the Cubs, they were able to make this move by giving up minimal capital, as it took just one prospect to get the deal done. Unfortunately for them, it was a massive prospect as Ivan Brethowr is on his way to the Reds organization and will most likely be joining the Dayton Dragons of the Midwest League.

A seventh-round pick of the 2024 draft, Brethowr drew tons of Aaron Judge comparisons, mainly in part to his 6-6 and 250-pound frame. Despite plenty of swing and miss in his game, Brethowr has already proven to be a big-time bat and has the potential to be in the middle of the Reds lineup for a long time once he reaches the majors.

While his .221 average and four homers may not indicate that this season, Brethowr is still coming into his own as a player, once he does, the sky is the limit as the Reds are adding a massive bat to an already stacked farm system, as they could be the team to watch in the NL Central in a few years.

Grade B+: Of all the trades the Cubs made, this one deserves the highest grade not because of the player the Cubs got, but because of the player the Cubs got rid of in Pressly. When the Cubs traded for Pressly this offseason, there were plenty of concerns about how he would fare, and for the most part, those concerns proved true as this season has been a struggle.

Rogers has not only been a reliable reliever for the Reds this season, but he also knows the type of pitcher he is and should be able to adapt to any bullpen role given to him. Pair him with the addition of Andrew Kittredge and potentially Michael Soroka, and the Cubs' bullpen should be vastly improved over the next two months, which is all you can ask for.