Cubs Round Out Deadline With Ryan Zeferjahn and Jameson Taillon Adds

Chicago's headline move was Kevin Gausman. It wasn't the only one.

Quick answer: The Chicago Cubs added right-handed reliever Ryan Zeferjahn from the Los Angeles Angels, and separately picked up right-hander Jameson Taillon in a cash-considerations deal. Read the bigger move in our Cubs-Gausman breakdown.

The trade details

Yahoo Sports and deadline trackers had both moves confirmed by Sunday night. The Zeferjahn add is part of the Angels' broader sell-off, Los Angeles also moved Jose Soriano, Brent Suter, and Jo Adell the same weekend, while the Taillon pickup is a straightforward, low-cost cash deal rather than a prospect swap.

What Chicago is buying

Zeferjahn gives the Cubs bullpen a real weapon. AthX Engine has him at 169.6 fantasy points this season, tracking to a 237.18 FP pace, high-leverage relief production that adds directly to a Chicago pitching staff already fortified by Kevin Gausman and Shota Imanaga.

Taillon is a lower-cost depth add, insurance for a rotation that just got busier at the top. Between the two moves and the Gausman blockbuster, Chicago spent Sunday building out pitching depth at every level while a lineup led by Pete Crow-Armstrong keeps producing on the other side of the ball.

What Los Angeles and Toronto are selling, and why

For the Angels, Zeferjahn is one piece of a broader teardown: Los Angeles is clearing veteran and near-veteran contracts across the roster this weekend rather than holding any single asset. For the Blue Jays, moving Taillon for cash is a minor depth-clearing transaction, the kind of deal that barely registers next to Toronto's bigger deadline business but still frees a roster spot.

AthX Engine angle

Zeferjahn's strikeout and leverage numbers travel with him: his 169.6 FP and 237.18 pace are the baseline heading into Cubs bullpen innings. Taillon is a name to watch for role clarity, cash deals for rotation depth often come with a defined bullpen or spot-starter role rather than a guaranteed rotation turn.

Track Ryan Zeferjahn, Jameson Taillon, and the Cubs board on the marketplace. Information only; not financial advice.

What happens next

Chicago now has bullpen depth to match its upgraded rotation for the stretch run. For the wider deadline ledger, see our Aug. 2 trade deadline buzz roundup.

Sources: Yahoo Sports trade-deadline reporting, AthX Engine 2026 season scoring for Zeferjahn. Information only; not financial advice.