A painfully familiar red flag could doom the Cubs' trade efforts for Edward Cabrera

While the Chicago Cubs and Miami Marlins connected on a trade last offseason, swapping Matt Mervis for Vidal Bruján, it's felt inevitable that the two teams could connect on a larger deal. The Cubs were among teams showing interest in Edward Cabrera and Sandy Alcantara at last season's deadline, and are believed to be in the mix of teams the Marlins are currently speaking with while they ramp up their efforts to trade Cabrera.

Before the talk of a potential trade for Cabrera, the Cubs were approaching the finish line with the Marlins last winter on a trade that would have netted them Jesús Luzardo. The deal was believed to include Owen Caissie, but the Cubs nixed the deal while in the final stages, citing concerns over Luzardo's medicals.

One red flag that could derail the Cubs' trade efforts for Edward Cabrera.

While reminding everyone of the Cubs' interest in Cabrera as the Winter Meetings concluded, The Athletic's (subscription required) Patrick Mooney and Sahadev Sharma added some context to what might be a concern for Chicago's front office. Cabrera doesn't have the best track record with injuries.

During the second half of the season, Cabrera flirted with an elbow injury, ultimately landing on the IL in September with what Miami diagnoses as an elbow sprain. Cabrera returned by the end of the season, but the 2025 season was the only year in his career where he pitched over 100 innings in a season.

Even with Cabrera potentially arriving with three years of control, if there are any red flags in his medical, the Cubs' training staff likely won't sign off on the deal.

In Luzardo's case, their fears were unfounded, considering he made 32 starts with the Philadelphia Phillies last season while posting an ERA of 3.92 and striking out over 28% of the hitters he faced. But with Cabrera likely costing the Cubs Caissie and another top prospect as part of a package that also includes a Major League-ready pitcher, gambling on a potential red flag in Cabrera's medicals clearing wouldn't be a decision aligned with how Jed Hoyer and Co. normally operate.

Of course, they did trade for Michael Soroka at the trade deadline, but with him landing on the IL immediately, that likely has heightened the emphasis placed on medical checks before a deal gets finalized.