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Pitcher Edward Cabrera #30 of the Chicago Cubs throws during the first inning of a spring training game against the Cleveland Guardians at Sloan Park on February 27, 2026 in Mesa, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images)

When the Chicago Cubs acquired starting pitcher Edward Cabrera in a blockbuster trade with the Miami Marlins this offseason, many felt that he was the missing piece who could lead the team to the World Series.

Cabrera has been linked on multiple occasions in trade rumors to the Cubs. In order to get him this offseason, Jed Hoyer and the front office had to make the difficult decision to part ways with former top prospect Owen Caissie.

Even though it was a tough decision to make, Chicago is receiving great early returns from Cabrera during spring training action.

After his most recent spring start, Cubs fans are going to love this update about Cabrera and how he has pitched so far with his new team.

Chicago Cubs Fans Will Love What Edward Cabrera Has Done in Spring Training

Right off the bat, Cabrera has started proving Chicago right for believing in him. He has looked almost unhittable during spring training thus far.

Following his third start of spring training on Thursday in a win over the Seattle Mariners, Cabrera has now pitched 8.1 innings and recorded a 1.08 ERA, a 0.84 WHIP, just one run, eight strikeouts, and only one walk.

Those numbers are exactly what the Cubs traded for him to provide. He won’t keep those numbers up throughout an entire season, but Cabrera has proven himself to be an elite pitching option for Chicago.

Last season with the Marlins, Cabrera made 26 starts. He compiled an 8-7 record to go along with a 3.53 ERA, a 1.23 WHIP, a 3.1 K/BB ratio, and 137.2 innings pitched. Those numbers would boost the Cubs’ World Series chances aggressively.

The Cubs’ Projected Starting Rotation Is Among the Best in Baseball

Outside of Cabrera, Chicago is expected to boast one of the best rotations in baseball.

FanGraphs has projected the rotation to include Cabrera, Matthew Boyd, Cade Horton, Shota Imanaga, and Jameson Taillon. Justin Steele is also expected to return from injury at some point this season.

That kind of star power and depth is something that most MLB teams can only dream of having. If Cabrera can continue playing at the dominant level he has shown during spring training, there is a very real chance that the Cubs will have the best rotation in baseball.

At just 27 years old and turning 28 on April 13, Cabrera is just starting to enter his prime. He has many years of great baseball left ahead of him.

History will still need to be written on the trade. However, for right now, Chicago has to be feeling very good about the difficult decision to trade Caissie away to acquire Cabrera.

Evan Massey Evan Massey is a sports reporter and analyst located in Indianapolis, Indiana who covers the NFL, NBA, MLB, WNBA, and college sports. He has been featured on many publications, including Newsweek, Athlon Sports, ESPN, Yahoo! Sports, Forbes, Bleacher Report, Sporting News, and many others. In his free time, Evan enjoys spending time with his wife and son. More about Evan Massey