Marlins Linked to Weird MLB Trade Deadline Move With Head-Scratching Team

The Miami Marlins will almost surely be doing something by the MLB trade deadline, even if they don't have another fire sale like many anticipated.

Right now, the Marlins' top trade chip is almost certainly pitcher Edward Cabrera, who has been absolutely brilliant the last couple of months.

The Athletic has listed Cabrera as one of the top names on its trade big board, but it also offered a rather weird potential destination for him: the Baltimore Orioles.

The Orioles are essentially out of playoff contention this year, so they almost certainly won't be buyers at the deadline. They also just allowed Corbin Burnes to walk in free agency because they didn't want to pay him, so is Cabrera really a realistic possibility for them?

Well, the caveat is that Cabrera does not hit free agency until 2029, so Baltimore would be able to have him under club control for the next few years if it does acquire him. Still, it seems relatively unlikely that the O's would be more aggressive than World Series contenders in pursuing Cabrera, who may very well be the best pitcher available between now and the deadline.

The 27-year-old owns a 3.33 ERA this year and has allowed 66 hits while registering 80 strikeouts over 78.1 innings. Formerly a top prospect, Cabrera finally appears to be coming into his own after a very up-and-down first several seasons in the big leagues.

There is also no guarantee that the Marlins will trade Cabrera, considering that he isn't slated to hit free agency for a while and could still represent a centerpiece for the franchise moving forward.