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Cubs Inquired With Marlins Over Pair of Sought-After Righty Starters

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Matthew Sullivan | Last updated Jun 25, 2025 3:30 PM ET

The Chicago Cubs are one of the most prominent teams looking for starting pitching at the MLB trade deadline. With countless rumors swirling surrounding players they could target, there is a new report which points to the Cubs inquiring about two pitchers from a lousy NL East team.

According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, the Cubs have inquired with the Miami Marlins about two starting pitchers: Sandy Alcantara and Edward Cabrera.

"But the Cubs," Rosenthal writes, "according to sources briefed on their plans, already are canvassing the market, making inquiries on Miami Marlins right-handers Sandy Alcantara and Edward Cabrera, among many others."

This report is one of the first times that the Cubs aren't just linked to a pitcher, but have had discussions surrounding players. Alcantara and Cabrera are both rumored to be available, and with the Marlins firmly out of contention, they are open for business.

For the Cubs, Alcantara would be the most desirable pitcher to acquire among all the available starters on the market. He won the Cy Young award in 2022 with an incredible year, putting up 8.0 WAR, 207 strikeouts, and a 2.28 ERA in 228.2 innings.

Cabrera, meanwhile, is also a very intriguing option for the Cubs. He's two years younger than Alcantara at 27 years old, and is under club control through 2028 as opposed to Alcantara, who's under control through 2027.

Also, in 2025, Cabrera has been significantly better. He has a 3.81 ERA in 12 starts for the Marlins, along with a 2-2 record. In 59 innings pitched, Cabrera has 63 strikeouts and 26 walks.

Alcantara has a 6.69 ERA, a 4-8 record, and his worst strikeout-to-walk ratio since 2018. While he's been significantly better as of late, with a 2.74 ERA in his last four starts, he's still struggled in 2025.

Those struggles have led the Marlins to back off trading him, as his value decreased significantly with his struggles. But, for the Cubs, even before his recent resurgence, they're still interested in him.

While Alcantara has two All-Stars and a Cy Young award, Cabrera has no individual accolades. His career ERA (4.23) is also a good deal higher than Alcantara's career ERA (3.57).

This new report from Rosenthal not only links the Cubs to Alcantara and Cabrera, but mentions their names explicitly as players the Cubs are already having trade conversations about.

As the trade deadline approaches, Cubs fans should keep an eye on the Marlins, as the Cubs are involved in trade talks with two of their best starters in Sandy Alcantara and Edward Cabrera.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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