Cubs step in front of Yankees to make blockbuster pitching trade with Marlins

The Edward Cabrera trade rumors had been heating up, and the fear was that the Chicago Cubs were going to miss out on the Miami Marlins' starting pitcher they had been coveting for much of the past year. At the start of the week, the New York Yankees were believed to be making progress on a deal. The Cubs took notice and stepped in to complete a deal ahead of the Yankees.

Bleacher Nation's Michael Cerami reports that the Cubs are finalizing a trade for Cabrera. Cabrera is the high-upside starting pitcher the Cubs have been in search of throughout the offseason, and he arrives to Chicago with three years of control.

Cubs finally make their big move of the offseason, landing Edward Cabrera in trade with Marlins.

Cabrera is under control through the 2028 season and would go a long way toward the Cubs adding a swing-and-miss profile to their rotation. With the Marlins last season, Cabrera posted an ERA of 3.53 while striking out over 25% of the hitters he faced.

The package of players headed to Miami has yet to be revealed. Chances are it will include multiple top prospects, but the move should open the door for a clear pursuit of Alex Bregman or Bo Bichette.

Throughout the offseason, there was speculation that Jed Hoyer and Co. preferred a scenario where they traded for a cost-controlled starting pitcher, and then used their available resources in free agency to find an offensive upgrade at third base.

It could explain why the Cubs were hesitant to match the offers that Dylan Cease received from the Toronto Blue Jays and Tatsuya Imai got from the Houston Astros. The Cubs weren't willing to cross the $200M threshold with Cease, and Imai having an opt-out after each year of his deal with Houston is a structure that Chicago has shied away from.

There's no doubt that the arrival of Cabrera does provide some clarity for the Cubs' offseason. Depending on the prospects headed to Miami, that likely will dictate the next step for Hoyer and his front office.