The bullpen issues have certainly been a sore spot for Chicago Cubs fans and Jed Hoyer’s biggest critics, but despite his shortcomings in the reliever department so far in 2026, Hoyer has once again hit on an under-the-radar trade piece. Veteran left-hander David Peterson was kicked to the curb by the New York Mets this season, and a desperate Cubs team traded for him back in June. Peterson made his Cubs debut on June 27, and he’s quietly been a savior for the starting rotation.
On paper, the overall numbers don’t tell the entire story. Peterson earned the win in Monday’s 7-3 victory over the Atlanta Braves at Wrigley Field. He allowed one run over six innings, striking out seven, and gave up three total hits. The lone run that he was charged with came after Javier Assad took over an inherited runner in the seventh inning. In 14 games with the Cubs, which includes 13 starts, Peterson has posted a 4.15 ERA with 61 strikeouts in 69.1 innings.
Again, not exactly the dominant numbers that you’d point to when talking about a sneaky good trade, but when you consider that 16 of the 32 earned runs that Peterson has allowed with the Cubs have come in two games, a total of 7.1 innings, then Peterson begins to look like a great acquisition. In his other 12 appearances since joining the Cubs, Peterson has recorded a 2.32 ERA in 62 innings of work.
His start on Monday against the Braves marked the 10th time this year that Peterson has not allowed more than two earned runs in a game. In 11 of his 13 starts with the Cubs so far in 2026, Peterson has limited the opposition to three runs or fewer. He had one blowup against the St. Louis Cardinals on July 3, allowing 10 runs in 3.2 innings; more recently, the Milwaukee Brewers scored six runs in 3.2 innings, but aside from those two outings, Peterson has been great.
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Prior to the trade in June, Peterson pitched 68 innings for the Mets. He had a 6.09 ERA, splitting time between the bullpen and the starting rotation. He’s always been a great groundball pitcher, and there was really no better fit than the Cubs, who feature the top defensive infield in MLB.
And that’s what Hoyer has done over time: acquiring pitchers other organizations no longer value and helping them succeed despite not being the most coveted players on the market.
It is very easy to point the finger at Hoyer; I’ve done it in the midst of seeing the bullpen blow lead after lead, and while the injury excuse could be used for every team in MLB, it doesn’t take away from the fact that the Cubs have needed to use the most pitchers in the 2026 season. That includes long stretches of the year when the Cubs have been without multiple starting pitchers at the same time.
The trade for Peterson was mostly shelled by Cubs fans, who were irate that Hoyer didn’t land a bigger name at the time. Well, Peterson has 100% exceeded expectations from the biggest haters, and at the trade deadline, Hoyer traded Peterson’s former teammate, Clay Holmes, who may not be the biggest name out there, but he’s been a stud since he was traded to the Cubs.
You want your organization to be great all around, and while the Cubs have had their shortcomings in acquiring relief pitching in free agency in recent years, this front office has been able to find a lot of value-adding to the rotation. That includes savvy pickups like David Peterson.
