Edward Cabrera limbo could make Cubs regret Marlins trade that got away in playoffs

It feels like ancient history now, but prior to the 2025 season, the Jed Hoyer-led Chicago Cubs backed out of trade talks that would have netted left-hander Jesus Luzardo in a deal with the Miami Marlins.

The Cubs had concerns with the medicals - and it's not hard to see why they may have had some hesitation with the southpaw. Luzardo had missed time in 2024 with an elbow issue and a stress reaction in his back, ending his season in late June. After talks with Chicago fell through, the Marlins pivoted, sending Luzardo to the Philadelphia Phillies.

What he's done since joining the Phillies has been remarkable.

Over the last two years, Luzardo has thrown more than 360 innings of 3.40 ERA/2.83 FIP ball for Philadelphia, earning the first All-Star selection of his career this season. He's not only been a workhorse, but a legitimate front-of-the-rotation anchor for a Phillies team with one goal: winning a World Series as the clock ticks down on its aging core.

To add insult to injury, the Phillies locked Luzardo up this March, signing him to a five-year, $135 million extension that runs through the 2031 season. The 28-year-old lefty has rewarded their faith with the best season of his eight-year MLB career. To put that in perspective, more than one-third of his career WAR has come in the 2026 season.

Cubs' ongoing Edward Cabrera fiasco just rubs salt in the wound

Of course, the Cubs' eventual answer to a long-term need in the rotation was to circle back to the Marlins and trade Owen Caissie to Miami in exchange for Edward Cabrera last winter. To say the initial return has been disappointing is putting it mildly. The right-hander has a -1.2 bWAR and 5.68 ERA in 15 starts amidst multiple IL stints.

The best-case scenario for Cabrera in 2026 is he returns to help a beleaguered bullpen in the final weeks of the season. He's under team control for two more years, so there's still a hope he can be a long-term asset, but it's safe to say he's fallen well short of the team's expectations in 2026.

Meanwhile, as the Cubs and Phillies continue to battle it out for the top wild-card spot, a potential October matchup could see Chicago's offense matched up against Luzardo in the playoffs. Cabrera seems unlikely to be any sort of major factor, with the rotation pieced together with a pair of trade deadline additions in Clay Holmes and Kevin Gausman.

Re-hashing these things is always easier in hindsight, but that doesn't detract from the point that the Cubs have both been unable to develop pitching internally and have been equally disappointing in pulling off long-term adds via trade. And it's a pain point that could prove to be their undoing before it's all said and done.

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