2 prospects whose road to Wrigley could be blocked by Edward Cabrera

Acquiring Edward Cabrera should be a huge boon for the Chicago Cubs' starting rotation, as he brings the kind of velocity and swing-and-miss potential that the rest of the team's frontline arms have long lacked.

He, Cade Horton, Matthew Boyd, and Jameson Taillon should form the core of Craig Counsell's starting five, with Shota Imanaga, Colin Rea, and Justin Steele (once healthy) all factoring into the equation in some form or another.

That kind of depth should be music to the ears of all Cubs fans, though it does mean that any young pitchers who were hoping to get an extended look in the major leagues this upcoming season may have to exercise a little more patience.

2 top Cubs pitching prospects whose big-league debuts may be delayed by the blockbuster Edward Cabrera trade

Jaxon Wiggins

The obvious pick here, Jaxon Wiggins emerged as the Cubs' top pitching prospect in 2025 on the back of a 2.19 ERA and 2.94 FIP across 18 starts. Like Cade Horton before him, Wiggins' workload has been severely limited by Chicago, as he completed just 78 innings despite his resounding success.

Still, he brings a dominant arsenal to the table, led by a high-90s fastball and a wipeout breaker that toes the line between a slider and a sweeper. He's also got a strong changeup that he favors against left-handed batters, and he parlayed those trio of offerings into a 31.0% strikeout rate in 2025.

However, with Cabrera, another hard-throwing starter, in tow, there's no longer a reason to rush Wiggins' development. He still needs to build up to a true starter's workload (i.e., he needs to start completing at least five innings per start), and his command troubles remain a pain point (11.5% walk rate last year).

He's only 24 and isn't yet on the 40-man roster (he's Rule 5 eligible after the 2026 season). Barring one of the greatest spring training performances ever or a rash of injuries, Wiggins' MLB debut timeline can safely be moved back a couple of months.

Grant Kipp

Grant Kipp significantly raised his stock in 2025, finally getting over the A-ball hump to author a 4.22 ERA and 4.43 FIP in 108 2/3 innings with Double-A Knoxville. He's got the frame and deep arsenal required to handle a starter's workload, though the 26-year-old also struggles with command (12.2% walk rate).

Like Wiggins, Kipp isn't yet on the 40-man roster, which will make it harder for him to leapfrog other options on the depth chart like Ben Brown, Jordan Wicks, and Javier Assad. He also isn't as advanced as Wiggins (or even Connor Noland), giving him just a few more arms to have to hurdle on his way to Wrigley.

He should still get an assignment to Triple-A Iowa to begin the season, but those hoping for a late-season debut from Kipp may have to hold their horses now that Cabrera is around. A debut early in 2027 — perhaps as a long reliever in the bullpen — is a more realistic timeline now, especially since other teams already passed on drafting in the 2025 Rule 5 Draft.