Marlins trade Braxton Garrett to Chicago Cubs for 2 prospects

[Kevin Barral]

The Miami Marlins are trading Braxton Garrett to the Chicago Cubs in exchange for first baseman Jonathon Long and pitcher Jace Beck, Fish On First can confirm. Neither club has made the trade official yet.

Selected back in the first round of the 2016 MLB Draft, Garrett has spent more than 10 years in the organization. His best season with the team came in 2023, where he threw a career-high 159 ⅔ innings and started game two of the National League Wild Card series against the Philadelphia Phillies.

Unfortunately for Garrett, it all went downhill from there. In 2024, Garrett was limited to seven starts. His season was cut short due to a left elbow injury and he underwent UCL surgery the following winter. He missed the entire 2025 season, but was ready for spring training in 2026. Garrett made two starts in spring training before being optioned to Triple-A.

Garrett has spent the majority of the 2026 season down in Triple-A Jacksonville, only making two starts at the major league level. With the Jumbo Shrimp, Garrett has posted a 2.90 ERA, 4.15 FIP, 9.62 K/9 and 3.36 BB/9 in 16 appearances (15 starts). In those two starts with the big league team, Garrett struggled, allowing seven runs on seven hits and walking eight in two poor starts. He has not been given an opportunity since.

As detailed by Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald earlier on Monday, the Marlins "wanted Garrett to find ways to increase his velocity and modify his arsenal. According to a source, Garrett was reluctant to make wholesale changes, believing major tweaks would do more harm than good." That disagreement was a factor in why the club barely used him despite at times having such a thin rotation in the big leagues.

Long, MLB Pipeline's No. 10 Cubs prospect, is currently in Triple-A slashing .283/.364/.455/.818 with 12 home runs, 62 RBI and has a 108 wRC+. He is striking out 21.2% of the time while walking 10.6%. Despite being primarily a first baseman throughout most of his minor league career, Long has played some left field this season, making 16 appearances (15 starts) at that spot.

Beck, who was ranked No. 28 in the Cubs org by Pipeline, is a 26-year-old right-handed pitcher in Triple-A. He's made 25 appearances (nine starts), he's posted a 3.62 ERA, 3.80 FIP, 13.98 K/9 and 4.22 BB/9. Beck throws a fastball, curveball, cutter and changeup.

Neither Long nor Beck occupies a 40-man roster spot currently.

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[One Regend]

The Marlins weren't going to use Braxton Garrett anyway, good on them for finding a trade partner that will actually give him opportunities to play.

I'm surprised at the trade return they got for him, because this could've easily been a nothing trade. Garrett had done nothing since 2023, and his underlying numbers were very concerning heading into the deadline. I guess the Cubs are just desperate for healthy pitchers.

I'm hoping Bendix swings a buying move at the trade deadline, though. The Marlins are getting hot again, the Braves are losing steam, and Alex Anthopoulos is sitting around twiddling his thumbs at the trade deadline.