Edward Cabrera is the Cubs' X-factor in 2027 and that fact is absolutely terrifying

In the weeks leading up to the anticipated MLB lockout on Dec. 2, Scott Boras is going to do his best to move heaven and earth to find Tarik Skubal a new home. The clear-cut top player on this winter's free-agent market closed out the year with the Los Angeles Dodgers, but a return to SoCal is hardly a foregone conclusion.

Behind him, there's a handful of strong rotation staples, including Michael King and Sonny Gray, and Padres lefty Adrian Morejon sets the bar among bullpen possibilities. So there are some great fits for teams, like the Chicago Cubs, in need of pitching. But the competition will be stiff, price tags will be steep and a lot of front offices (and fanbases) are going to come away disappointed.

Given whats at stake for the Cubs, they can't afford to not improve the pitching staff. Really, they have no choice: there's a ton of turnover coming on the roster and those arms have to be replaced. But when you look at the names set to return in 2027, none loom larger than Edward Cabrera.

In his end-of-season presser, Jed Hoyer was asked about the right-hander, who was acquired from the Miami Marlins in exchange for Owen Caissie in January and the Cubs' president of baseball operations was blunt in his assessment.

“We didn’t get the most out of him,” Hoyer said. “That’s something as an organization I have to own. We need to really focus on that. He has a lot of talent. He really cares. We have to get more out of him.”

The big question with Cabrera is how much of an impact a recurring blister issue had on his stuff, because there was a definite downturn in both the efficiency and effectiveness of his pitches. His curveball, in particular, looked completely different (and not in a good way) and a two-month IL stint for a hamstring injury did nobody any favors, either.

Every returning Cubs starting pitcher comes with significant questions

Multiple setbacks stopped Justin Steele from contributing at the big-league level this year and, depending if there are any games lost due to the lockout, it could end up being two years since he pitched for the Cubs by the time he returns. At that point, he'll be four years removed from his 2023 All-Star campaign and there's no way to predict what you'll get from the veteran southpaw.

Ben Brown, who was forced into the 2026 rotation picture because of injuries to other pitchers, looked to finally be putting it all together only to hit the shelf with the same neck injury that stopped his 2024 season in its tracks. You cannot count on him to stay healthy for the entirety of a season - and, personally, I think moving him to the bullpen makes the most sense.

There will be additions to the trio of Cabrera, Brown and Steele. Javier Assad, Braxton Garrett and Jordan Wicks could factor into the equation, but all none have the needle-moving potential Cabrera does. If he can return to form or, if we really want to drink the Kool-Aid and believe the Cubs will unlock a new level for Cabrera next year, it would go a long way toward solidifying a pitching staff that must step up in 2027.

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