The Chicago Cubs have added another arm to the bullpen in Taylor Rogers. Just a day after trading for him from the Cincinnati Reds, the Pittsburgh Pirates have now sent Rogers to the Cubs, as first reported by Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. In return, the Pirates are getting outfielder Ivan Brethowr. In High-A ball this year, Brethowr is hitting .221 with only four home runs. He is quite the specimen at 6’6″ and 250 pounds, but the Cubs aren’t losing much with him. On the contrary, the bullpen was an area of need for the Cubs going into the deadline. They added Andrew Kittredge yesterday, and have added another really solid arm in Rogers while not paying an expensive price.
Report: Pirates Flip Taylor Rogers to Cubs One Day After Acquiring Him
Cubs acquiring reliever Taylor Rogers from Pirates, source tells @TheAthletic.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) July 31, 2025
Rogers’ Value To the Bullpen
So far this year, Taylor Rogers has been extremely productive with the Reds. Although he has a somewhat small sample size, he holds a 2.45 ERA through 33 innings pitched. And last year, he posted a 2.40 ERA in 60 innings for the San Francisco Giants. As for his advanced stats, he has some solid spots, such as avoiding hard contact, he has a great xBA, and gets a decent amount of strikeouts. His only big issue this year has been walk rate. He throws solely a sinker and sweeper, which both get thrown about the same amount. Another veteran lefty in the bullpen is great for the Cubs and will be a huge help to them in the playoffs.
Overall, for what the Cubs had to give up, this is a great trade. All they had to give up was a struggling outfielder in High-A ball. The Cubs are loaded with outfielders in their organization, so it wouldn’t have been a loss even if it were a top 30 prospect. While the bullpen hasn’t been their biggest issue this year, loading up on relievers is never a bad thing when the playoffs come around.
Main Photo Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
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