The Cubs and Marlins are nearing an agreement on a right-to-ship trade Edward Cabrera from Miami to Chicago, as first reported by Michael Cerami of Bleacher Nation. While no deal is in place yet, ESPN’s Jesse Rogers reports that it will be a package loaded with position player prospects once it’s finalized. None of Chicago’s top-ranked arms are expected to be in the deal. Both teams are currently reviewing the medical records of the players involved, Rogers added. Kevin Barral of Fish On First reports that the top foreign prospect Owen Caissie has been mandatory for the Marlins in the past and is part of the package being discussed.
Cabrera, who turns 28 in April, is one of the best shortstops in the past but hasn’t been healthy enough to deliver what could have been a breakout campaign in 2025. Although he’s still in IL time this past season, he’s turned a career-high 137 2/3 innings with a solid 3.53 ERA and encouraging on-base numbers. Cabrera struck out 25.8% of opponents, had a walk rate of 8.3% — much better than his 13.3% clip on the season — recorded a 46.6% groundball rate and sat at 97 mph on his four-seamer (and 96.8 mph on his sinker) in 2025.
At the start of the 2025 season, Cabrera missed two weeks with blisters on his pitching hand – his second IL start due to blister issues. His second IL trip in 2025 was a shocker, as it was hampered by an elbow injury late in the year. That’s a very concerning injury, but Cabrera returned after just three weeks and fired nine solid innings over his last two games, sitting 97.7 mph on his four-seamer and 97.9 mph on his sinker during that stretch. Given the trade interest in him this offseason and the deal to be finalized, there doesn’t appear to be any current concerns about a major elbow injury coming up.
Beyond his premium speed and quality stats, Cabrera’s contract situation always seemed like it could hold wide appeal. He is entering his second of four arbitration seasons as a Super Two player and MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz is expected to earn a very affordable $3.7MM in 2026. He’s under club control through 2028, and based on the first low in his arbitration campaign, those three seasons likely won’t cost $20.
Cabrera will step into the deep mix of the Cubs rotation, joining the Rookie of the Year finalist Late Horton and veterans Matthew Boyd, Jameson Taillon again Shota Imanaga (who accepted a $22.05MM qualifying donation in November). Acquiring Cabrera likely pushes the veteran pitcher Colin Rea he returned to a long relief role to start the season, although he will be among the first men in case of an injury elsewhere on the staff.
The right hand Javier Assad he’s also in trouble, though he missed nearly the entire 2025 season with the strain and posted a career-low 15% strikeout rate in the 37 innings he was able to pitch late in the season. Assad still has minor league options remaining, so he could be sent down to Triple-A to start the year or be considered for a multi-tasking relief role similar to what Rea might have. Other options down in Triple-A include the 26-year-old righty Ben Brown and high hopes of the former Jordan Wicks (again 26). High hopes Jaxon Wiggins he’s not yet on the 40-man roster and hasn’t pitched in Triple-A, but he could be in line for a major league game this coming season as well.
Yes, the Cubs will be eagerly awaiting the return of the ace Justin Steeleat some point in the first half of the season. The 30-year-old Steele was the team’s top starter from 2022-24, pitching 427 innings of 3.10 ERA with strikeout, walk and groundball rates, but he made just four starts in 2025 before requiring UCL surgery in late April. Every rehabilitation process is different, but it is reasonable to expect that he may return in June or July.
In the second half of the season, the Cubs could be looking at a rotation led by Steele, Horton and Cabrera, with veterans Taillon, Boyd, Imanaga and Rea among the options for the last few spots. Injuries will always derail any team’s best-laid plans, but that’s a group of quality arms that doesn’t contribute to Wiggins, who posted a 2.19 ERA and 31% strikeout rate in 18 starts (and one relief appearance) between Double-A and Triple-A last year.
More to come.
