Edward Cabrera remains one of the more intriguing controllable starters on the trade market — a hard-throwing right-hander with strikeout stuff, upside, and years of team control. He’s been the subject of trade speculation for much of 2025. As the Winter Meetings heat up, several clubs make sense as suitors. Here are three.
Best Trade Fits for Marlins Starter Edward Cabrera
1. New York Yankees — Filling a Critical Rotation Need
Why It Fits
The Yankees absolutely need top-of-the-rotation help. Behind their big veteran arms, they’ve battled inconsistency, injuries, and thin depth — especially in the 4–5 spots. With the AL East tightening again, adding a young, controllable, power-armed starter like Cabrera fits their immediate and long-term needs.
Multiple reports over the past year noted New York’s prior interest in Cabrera, and his strikeout profile fits perfectly with the Yankees’ pitching-development model.
A Plausible Trade Package:
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Yankees send: one mid- to upper-level pitching prospect (not top 5, but someone with real upside), plus a lower-tier position player or organizational depth piece.
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Rationale: Cabrera’s cost control elevates his value, but his inconsistency keeps the price below a massive prospect haul. The Yankees gain affordable rotation upside, while the Marlins (or their current team) receive pitching depth and developmental value.
2. Baltimore Orioles — A Young Contender Desperate for Pitching
Why It Fits
Few contenders need young pitching as urgently as the Orioles. Their lineup is one of the best in baseball, their farm continues to produce bats, and their competitive window is wide open — but the one glaring weakness has been controllable, high-upside starting pitching.
Cabrera gives them exactly what they lack:
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Swing-and-miss stuff
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Team control
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A power arm to pair with their young core
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A relatively low salary, which fits the Orioles’ operating model
Industry chatter throughout the 2025 season repeatedly tied Baltimore to controllable starters, and Cabrera profiles as the exact type they pursue over expensive free agents. Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon of The Athletic reported on Wednesday that the Orioles are in the mix on the latest Cabrera trade talks.
Trade talks for Marlins’ Edward Cabrera heating up, with Orioles in the mix. Story with @WillSammon. https://t.co/ywXEdiR59I
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) December 10, 2025
A Plausible Trade Package:
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Orioles send: a pair of mid-tier prospects — likely one lower-level pitcher with upside and one position-player prospect outside their elite tier.
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Rationale: Baltimore protects its blue-chip prospects while still offering enough value. For the selling team, it’s a balanced return without demanding the Orioles’ top names, such as Jackson Holliday, Coby Mayo, Samuel Basallo, etc.
3. Cleveland Guardians — Cost-Controlled Rotation Help for a Low-Payroll Contender
Why It Fits
Cleveland’s rotation has undergone transition and injuries, and adding a controllable, strikeout-heavy arm fits exactly how they typically operate — upside arms without major financial risk.
As the league’s pitching market thins and prices rise, Cabrera’s profile aligns perfectly with Cleveland’s strategy: buy undervalued power arms and develop them into legitimate rotation pieces.
A Plausible Trade Package:
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Guardians send: a mix of lower-level pitching prospects and a near-MLB-ready depth arm (but not their elite prospects).
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Rationale: Cleveland bolsters its rotation affordably; the selling team gets multiple young arms to restock the pipeline.
The Last Word
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Pitching demand in the 2025–26 market is historically high. Reports this month list Cabrera among the most likely controllable arms to be moved.
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Teams like Baltimore and Cleveland prefer young, cost-controlled pitching rather than high-priced free agents.
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Any return must strike a balance — enough talent to move a starter with upside, but not a “top-5 prospect” blockbuster, which isn’t realistic for Cabrera’s current valuation.
Main Photo Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images
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