Trade talks between the Miami Marlins and New York Yankees for starting pitcher Edward Cabrera have picked up in recent days, per Chris Kirschner of The Athletic. The Yankees seem set on adding to their starting rotation, for better or worse. Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodón and Clarke Schmidt will all be unavailable to begin the season. That leaves the cupboard a bit barren, and despite Cabrera's injury issues, he is one of the most-proven starting pitchers on the trade market for a reason.
Cabrera had a 2.8 bWAR and 3.53 ERA in 2025. It was easily his best season in the big leagues, and he still has three years left on his contract. The Marlins urgency to sell high on Cabrera while he is so affordable should be seen as a warning sign for contending teams. But, again, he is so cheap. Cabrera will make close to $3.7 million in arbitration next season, per MLB Trade Rumors. That is music to Hal Steinbrenner's ears.
What would it cost the Yankees to trade for Edward Cabrera?
The Baltimore Orioles didn't do the Yankees or any team interested in adding starting pitching any favors when they traded a haul to the Tampa Bay Rays for Shane Baz. No offense to Baz, but he is not worth four top-30 prospects and a competitive balance pick as the cherry on top. However, he is a mid-tier starting pitcher with plenty of contractual control. That speaks volumes about this market, as contenders would rather deal from their prospect cupboard than spend top dollar for Framber Valdez, or another available starting pitcher.
The Yankees don't have to pay what the Orioles did for Baz, but they'll need to come close. Here is what I had in mind, and please understand that this is an offer the Marlins can't refuse – meaning it would get the job done in the next phone call Brian Cashman makes to Peter Bendix.
Meet the Yankees prospects
Jones has his flaws, but the Yankees haven't wanted to trade him elsewhere for a reason. The first baseman turned outfielder has big-league power, and that'll translate just about anywhere. Jones is a top-100 prospect and big-league ready for a team that could surprise some people.
Hess is considered one of the Yankees best minor-league arms. He's a fast riser in the Yankees system and they by no means want to trade him if they can avoid it. But to acquire Cabrera, they cannot avoid it. Lewis is a 22-year-old outfield prospect who played in A-ball last season. With the Marlins, he could serve as a fourth outfielder in the not-so-distant future.
As for Arias, he is just 21 and plays a premium position at shortstop. Assuming he can make the leap to Double-A this coming season, he could make an impact for a team like the Marlins without many answers up the middle.
Yankees have some competition for Edward Cabrera
The entire purpose of this godfather offer exercise is because the Yankees have plenty of competition for Cabrera. The trade market has rocked several general managers to sleep, but now that the Yankees are involved in Cabrera talks, it allows teams like the Mets and Cubs to respond.
The Mets are desperate for starting pitching. They've been connected to Framber Valdez and others in free agency. It should be noted those pitchers wouldn't cost the Mets prospect capital. The Cubs are injury-plagued at the position thanks to Justin Steele. While they were able to keep Shota Imanaga around, Chicago needs cheap pitching talent and Cabrera fills that void. Outbidding the Yankees won't come easy for either of these teams, though.
This Yankees offer gives the Marlins a chance to win now, and prepare for a future without Cabrera in their rotation. It also provides Miami an out, as they don't want to pay Cabrera in the coming years when his arbitration number goes up. That's bound to create some unnecessary tension for an organization that can ill-afford it.