Mets, Yankees lose out on Edward Cabrera in Marlins, Cubs swap

Another prominent starting pitcher who had been tied to both the New York Mets and Yankees is off the board, and he is not headed to the Big Apple.

The Miami Marlins are trading right-handed starting pitcher Edward Cabrera to the Chicago Cubs, per multiple reports, making it the latest whiff of the New York teams, which have had alarmingly quiet offseasons.

Cabrera would have been a welcome addition to either starter rotation after posting a 3.53 ERA with a 1.220 WHIP and 150 strikeouts in 137.2 innings pitched — the latter two setting new career bests. While his stuff is undeniable, creating a high ceiling, the 27-year-old has often been sabotaged by injuries, particularly elbow and shoulder issues.

Still, an expansive arsenal that features a fastball with a 97-mph average speed has created solid metrics for his new franchise, the Cubs, to work with. His 30.3% chase rate, 25.8% strikeout rate, and 47.5% groundball rate ranked in MLB’s 74th percentile in 2025, while his 29.4% whiff rate was in the 78th.

While the Yankees could have used him to support a rotation that ultimately would get back to full strength, featuring Max Fried, Carlos Rodon, and Gerrit Cole, Cabrera appeared to be a Mets special for David Stearns. He is due approximately $3.75 million this season and is under team control through 2028, making him a smaller-budget project to throw into the lab in hopes of getting the kind of results that got Luis Severino and Sean Manaea’s careers back on track in 2024, while helping Clay Holmes transition from a closer to a serviceable middle-of-the-rotation starter.

The Mets remain active in the pitching market, exploring both the free agency and trade routes. They have been heavily linked to a pair of free-agent southpaws in Framber Valdez and Ranger Suarez in recent days. They are also believed to be monitoring the Milwaukee Brewers and Detroit Tigers regarding Freddy Peralta and two-time defending AL Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal.

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