Cubs eyeing Marlins starter in trade talks (and it's not Sandy Alcantara)

When it comes to the Chicago Cubs potentially trading for a starting pitcher from the Miami Marlins, Sandy Alcantara is the obvious name that comes to mind. A former Cy Young Award winner, Alcantara is appearing to be the top starting pitcher on the market. It's a market that still isn't fully defined, depending on what teams like the Arizona Diamondbacks and Baltimore Orioles. As of now, there's not a definitive ace available, and the Cubs may get creative in their search.

That creativity could still have the Cubs in trade talks with the Marlins, but for a starting pitcher that isn't Alcantara. In his latest for The Athletic, while urging the Cubs to be aggressive at the trade deadline, Ken Rosenthal reports that the Cubs have also expressed an interest in Marlins starting pitcher Edward Cabrera.

Cabrera would check a box that the Cubs' pitching staff, as a whole, is missing. The 27-year-old starting pitcher has a fastball that approaches the upper-90s, and he has struck out just under 25 percent of the hitters he has faced this season. This season, only Daniel Palencia, Brad Keller, and Ben Brown have higher marks when comparing Cabrera's strikeout to the Cubs' staff.

A drawback for Cabrera, however, is his command. Cabrera has walked 10.2 percent of the hitters he has faced this season, and that would be the highest of any pitcher in the Cubs' rotation. In other words, for longtime Cubs fans, there would be callbacks to Rich Harden.

Sandy Alcantara won’t be the only Cubs’ Marlins target

As is the case with Alcantara, the Marlins won't be compelled to move Cabrera at the deadline. Cabrera is under team control until 2029, and for that reason, will be an expensive target for the Cubs. So, part of the debate for the Cubs is who they project each pitcher to be. If the Cubs feel their infrastructure can get Alcantara back in Cy Young form, he is the clear target. However, if they feel they can fix Cabrera's command, he could be an equally intriguing target.

Dating back to this offseason, it seems that the Cubs and Marlins have been on the verge of making a blockbuster move. The teams exchanged change-of-scenery candidates in Vidal Brujan and Matt Mervis, but there were larger conversations had about Jesus Luzardo and Owen Caissie that almost saw a deal cross the finish line. The deadline could finally see that impact move happen.

More Cubs rumors from Cubbies Crib