🚨 NEW YORK YANKEES LEFT IN THE DUST: Cubs Closing in on Edward Cabrera Trade While Yankees Struggle to Make a Move
Earlier this week, the New York Yankees appeared to be on the verge of completing a trade for Miami Marlins pitcher Edward Cabrera. However, the tides have shifted, and it now seems that Cabrera is headed to the Chicago Cubs, leaving the Yankees in a frustrating position once again.
Reports indicate that the Cubs are finalizing a trade to acquire Cabrera, with Owen Caissie, their top outfield prospect, reportedly being sent to the Marlins as the centerpiece of the deal. This trade seems to benefit both sides, as the Cubs desperately needed a quality pitcher, and the Marlins are loaded with pitching talent but in need of a boost in their offensive lineup.
Why Cabrera Is a Huge Get for the Cubs
Cabrera, who boasts a powerful fastball and the ability to generate strikeouts, is an exciting addition to the Cubs’ rotation. The 27-year-old right-hander has the potential to be a frontline starter if he can stay healthy. His command issues and injury history are concerns, but the Cubs are clearly betting on his upside, hoping that he will thrive in their system.
What Went Wrong for the Yankees?
As for the Yankees, this trade deal is another blow in what is quickly becoming a nightmarish offseason. Despite being in the mix for Cabrera, New York is once again left watching as another key target slips away. While they could still potentially pursue pitchers like Freddy Peralta or MacKenzie Gore, missing out on Cabrera raises questions about the Yankees’ approach.
In many ways, this trade snafu underscores a greater organizational problem for the Yankees. For one, the team has shown an unwillingness to part with its top prospects, especially when it comes to dealing for pitchers. The Yankees are known for being extremely cautious when it comes to trading away their young talent, and this trade failure is a clear example of that strategy backfiring.
The Yankees’ Prospect Conundrum: Too Much Talent, Not Enough Trade Movement
It’s no secret that the Yankees have a deep pool of young pitchers in their system. Their farm system is teeming with electric arms, and New York has some of the most promising pitching prospects in all of baseball. However, when it comes to position players, their pipeline is much thinner.
Looking at the Yankees’ top position prospects, George Lombard Jr., Dax Kilby, Spencer Jones, and Dillon Lewis are the names that stand out. But here’s the problem: Lombard and Kilby are essentially untouchable in trade talks, while Jones, at 24 years old, hasn’t even played in the big leagues yet. Lewis is a solid prospect, but it’s still unclear whether he can become a major league contributor.
In the case of Cabrera, Miami clearly valued position players more than pitching prospects. This might explain why the Marlins were more inclined to negotiate with the Cubs, who were willing to offer Owen Caissie, a talented outfield prospect. On the other hand, the Yankees may have simply overvalued their young players, or they just weren’t willing to meet the Marlins’ demands.
Yankees’ Hesitation: A Missed Opportunity?
I’m not suggesting that the Yankees should have given up George Lombard Jr. for Cabrera. After all, Cabrera does have some red flags, particularly regarding his injury history and control issues. But the Yankees’ reluctance to part with top prospects like Lombard, despite his underwhelming performance in Double-A, points to a larger problem.
In 2025, Lombard posted a .215/.337/.358 slash line at Double-A, and he has a career .718 OPS in the minors. Is he really as good as advertised, or is his status as a top prospect more hype than substance? The Yankees’ refusal to part with him for Cabrera, despite his inconsistencies, might indicate that they’re holding onto talent that isn’t quite as valuable as they think.
The Trade Dynamics: A Larger Organizational Issue for the Yankees
So what exactly happened in the trade talks with the Marlins? There are two possibilities:
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The Yankees didn’t want to pay the price for a 27-year-old pitcher with high strikeout rates and years of team control.
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The Marlins weren’t buying what the Yankees were selling, especially when it came to position players.
Regardless of which scenario is more accurate, one thing is clear: the Yankees have an organizational problem that they need to address. They seem too reluctant to give up key players when it matters most. This hesitation is something that’s starting to become a hallmark of Brian Cashman’s tenure as general manager.
What’s Next for the Yankees?
The Yankees’ offseason is far from over, and there is still time to make a significant trade for a starting pitcher. However, the deeper we get into the winter, the more it seems like the Yankees are stuck in a rut. With Cabrera now off the table, their trade options are becoming more limited, and they may have to settle for a lesser pitcher or risk staying stagnant.
As the offseason drags on, the Yankees’ inability to land top-tier pitchers like Cabrera highlights a troubling trend for the franchise. Are they unwilling to pay the price for the right deal? Or are they simply failing to develop the position players necessary to make significant trades?
It’s an issue that will continue to linger throughout the offseason, and it’s one that the Yankees will have to address sooner rather than later if they want to compete at the highest level in 2026 and beyond
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Stay tuned to see how the Yankees navigate this offseason, as more moves—whether big or small—are surely on the horizon. But for now, it’s clear that Cabrera’s move to the Cubs is a significant loss for the Yankees in a season where they can ill afford to miss out on such a crucial trade.
