How Cubs can easily top Yankees' rumored Edward Cabrera trade package

It seems that the Miami Marlins are finally making real progress on their efforts to trade starting pitcher Edward Cabrera. Cabrera was a popular trade candidate at the MLB trade deadline last season and was mentioned in conversations taking place during the Winter Meetings this offseason. While the Chicago Cubs have routinely been linked to him over the past year, it's the New York Yankees who are making progress on a trade.

Multiple reports over the weekend confirmed that the Yankees and Marlins were making progress on a deal involving Cabrera, and one whisper suggests that New York's offer includes prospects Dillon Lewis and Ben Hess.

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The feel out of Miami is that the Marlins are aiming for low-level prospects with a high ceiling. Hess is the Yankees' No. 6 prospect, according to MLB Pipeline, and has an ETA of 2027. Meanwhile, Lewis is the Yankees' No. 16 prospect and has yet to reach the Double-A level.

If Lewis and Hess are the headliners of the Yankees' offer to the Marlins for Cabrera, the Cubs can easily create a more compelling offer.

First and foremost, Caissie is the Cubs' No. 1 prospect entering 2026, and we already know Miami is in love with the young outfielder. It stands to reason that he would be the key prospect included in the Cubs' offer.

Important context in the Cubs' willingness to trade Caissie is that Cabrera being cost-controlled likely opens up the path for them to land Alex Bregman in free agency. If not Bregman, then Bo Bichette.

It seems that the Cubs want to trade for a cost-controlled starting pitcher and sign an impact bat, and this scenario would certainly check that box.

Assad gives Miami a pitcher they can immediately insert in their rotation in place of Cabrera, and he is under team control for three more seasons. Not to mention, he has two minor-league options remaining. The arrival of Cabrera likely would make the Cubs comfortable with sacrificing the flexibility that Assad currently offers the pitching staff.

Between the years of control that Assad has and Caissie being a Top-50 prospect in baseball, that would put the Cubs in a position to add a lottery ticket as the final piece of the deal. Pick a prospect near the back half of the team's farm system and call it a day.

Time will tell if the Yankees' offer is more than what has been reported, but right now, the Cubs are in an easy position to offer Miami more.