Aug 8, 2025; Cumberland, Georgia, USA; Miami Marlins starting pitcher Edward Cabrera (27) reacts to his eleventh strikeout against the Atlanta Braves during the eighth inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Mady Mertens-Imagn Images Mady Mertens-Imagn Images

How Yankees Pivot After Edward Cabrera-Cubs Trade

Originally posted on New York Yankees on SI
By Michael Rosenstein | Last updated Jan 8, 2026 12:00 PM ET

Another one bites the dust. The New York Yankees once again came up short in their quest to bolster the roster for the 2026 season.

The Miami Marlins traded right-hander Edward Cabrera to the Cubs, getting a package of prospects from Chicago.

The New York Post's Joel Sherman says Cabrera was a player "the Yankees had interest in," calling the 27-year-old "very talented."

"(The Yankees) had talked quite a bit to the Marlins. They talked to the Marlins about several players, but clearly Cabrera was of great interest to them," Sherman says.

Hot Commodity

While Cabrera was a hot commodity on the trade market, the right-hander is no sure thing. He made a career-high 26 starts this season and cracked the 100-inning mark for the first time in five MLB seasons, throwing 137.2 innings for Miami.

He also set personals bests last season in WAR (2.8) and wins (8). Yes, you read that right. All this hype is for someone who's never even smelled double-digit wins. Cabrera has never been an All-Star and has never received Cy Young votes. But his upside and potential tempted the Yankees and were too much for the Cubs to resist.

John Jones-Imagn Images

However Yankees general manager Brian Cashman isn't done scouring the trade market for live arms.

Arms Race

"They want to add another starting pitcher, knowing Carlos Rodon is kind of scheduled to come back about May 1 from his elbow surgery. They hope Gerrit Cole by maybe June 1 from his elbow surgery and Clarke Schmidt in the second half," Sherman notes.

"They have enough starters, if everyone were healthy right now, to get through until May 1, June 1, in the second half. But that's depending and acting like no one else will get hurt, because they'd have to depend on Paul Blackburn, Ryan Yarbrough, Will Warren, Cam Schlittler for a whole season, Max Fried coming back from a heavy workload, the heaviest of his career, Luis Gil as a constantly injured pitcher," Sherman adds.

However Sherman says pitching isn't the Yankees' top priority right now, even though the Toronto Blue Jays gave Dylan Cease a seven-year, $210 million contract and the Boston Red Sox traded for right-hander Sonny Gray.

Top Priority

"The key thing for the Yankees has been they've been trying to bring back Cody Bellinger. They're still trying to do that," Sherman reports.

"I think they believe the number is way too high for them. And if Cody Bellinger can get that number, then he's going to leave. And the Yankees are either going to find another way to get an outfielder or a bat, or they're going to live with Jasson Dominguez and ultimately maybe Spencer Jones in left field," Sherman concludes.

If New York loses Bellinger and can't land a top-of-the-rotation arm, Yankees fans will have little reason to believe this is the year the World Series slump ends.

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