Yankees may have taken advantage of Cubs' obsession with Edward Cabrera

Over the last two years, it seemed inevitable that the Chicago Cubs would eventually complete a trade with the Miami Marlins. The two teams nearly completed a swap of Jesús Luzardo for Owen Caissie, and the Cubs' front office has always been enamored with Edward Cabrera. The obsession with Cabrera may have led to Jed Hoyer and Co. ignoring the better fit on the Marlins' pitching staff.

No, we're not talking about Alcantara. Like Cabrera, the Cubs had been linked to Alcantara for quite some time before their deal with the Marlins last offseason. In their trade for Cabrera, the Cubs topped the Yankees' offer.

In early January, speculation suggested the Yankees were making progress on a trade for Cabrera. The initial information may have been overzealous, considering reporting after the fact confirmed the Yankees were never close on a trade for Cabrera.

The appeal of trading for Cabrera was that his 2025 season made it seem that he was knocking on the door of becoming a top-of-the-rotation pitcher, and the 27-year-old is under control through the 2028 season. It's why Hoyer was comfortable sacrificing the organization's top prospect, Owen Caissie, in the deal.

The problem is that Cabrera has regressed from where he was at the end of last season. Through his first 10 starts with the Cubs, he has an ERA of 4.00 and there's been a notable dip in his strikeout rate. Cabrera is striking out 20.7% of the hitters he's facing this season. Last season, that mark was at 25.8%.

As the Cubs look to get Cabrera back on track, once he recovers from his current blister situation, they've identified that the arm angle on his delivery is lower than it was during his time with the Marlins.

Did the Yankees pull a fast one on the Cubs?

Meanwhile, it turns out the Yankees may have traded for the Marlins' starting pitcher that the Cubs ignored. Between 2024 and 2025, Ryan Weathers only made 24 starts with the Marlins. Between that and the idea that Weathers wasn't quite a finished product, the cost to acquire him was less than what the Cubs gave up for Cabrera.

Through his first nine starts with the Yankees, Weathers appears to be the swing-and-miss starting pitcher the Cubs were looking for last winter. He's carrying an ERA of 3.58 while striking out nearly 30% of the hitters he's faced this season. Like Cabrera, Weather is under control through the 2029 season, but he's a year younger.

At the time, some Yankees fans questioned why New York was more eager to get Weathers than they were Cabrera, and it would appear that we're finding out why in real time. The hope is that Cabrera eventually returns to the ascent he was once on, but as Weathers finds success with the Yankees, Hoyer's biggest trade from last offseason may not look all that great in comparison.

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