The Chicago Cubs took a bit of a gamble when they added David Peterson via a trade, but it looks like that addition to the pitching staff in Chicago is already working out well. When the Cubs made the move to get Peterson from the New York Mets, he arrived with a 6.09 ERA on the season. And in his first start for Chicago, Peterson delivered in a huge way. Things started off poorly for Peterson and the Cubs when facing the Milwaukee Brewers as he gave up a first-pitch home run to Jackson Chourio.
But that was basically the extent of what things went wrong for Peterson. In 5.2 innings pitched, Peterson only allowed two earned runs to be scored and gave the Cubs a real chance all throughout. He didn’t unravel after giving up the early homer, which would have been what some expected. Instead, Peterson made it all the way into the sixth inning and put the Cubs in position to win, which they did by a score of 8-2 against a really solid Brewers team.
That’s an immediate sort of payoff for the Cubs gamble here.
David Peterson dominated the Brewers in his first start for the Cubs
And it’s fair to say that trading for Peterson was a gamble for Chicago. Again, let’s take a look at that 6.09 ERA and the fact that he wasn’t a reliable pitcher in New York anymore. The Mets chose to move on from Peterson in exchange for 22-year-old prospect Cole Mathis.
For Peterson, a 30-year-old pitcher who has been in a slump this year and in a notable decline from the level he’s performed at over the past couple seasons, this has to feel incredibly rejuvenating. He’s in the final year of his contract and is proving that his career isn’t over yet.
For the Cubs, this addition of pitching depth might make things interesting in the NL Central race. They’re currently 6.5 games behind the Brewers and were in desperate need of someone who could help them on the mound. Peterson has the potential to do that.
It’s good to remember that Peterson posted a 2.90 ERA through 121 innings pitched back in 2024 and then had an All-Star season in 2025, during which he had a 4.22 ERA and 150 strikeouts on the season.
If he can perform anywhere near that level for the Cubs, then they’ll be incredibly grateful, and this gamble will likely pay off.
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