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Yankees Dealt Unfortunate Trade News on Wednesday

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Ayomide Adeduyite | Last updated Jan 7, 2026 1:19 PM ET

The New York Yankees have had a relatively quiet offseason as they attempt to address glaring holes in their starting rotation. With injuries to Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodón and Clarke Schmidt leaving New York thin behind Max Fried, general manager Brian Cashman publicly acknowledged his desire for another starter in December.

That candid remark underlined how pressing the need is for pitching, especially given a lineup built to contend around Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton. So far this winter, the Yankees have made modest moves but have yet to land a frontline arm.

As a result, starting pitcher Edward Cabrera emerged as one of the intriguing names linked to the Bronx Bombers. On Sunday, The Athletic’s Chris Kirschner and Ken Rosenthal reported that the Yankees had held talks with the Miami Marlins about a potential trade for Cabrera.

Miami Marlins pitcher Edward Cabrera.© Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

Cabrera’s breakout 2025 campaign, featuring a 3.53 ERA, 150 strikeouts and personal highs in innings (137.2) and starts (26), made him a logical trade target for a rotation craving innings and upside.

However, on Wednesday, New York got hit with a significant snag. Rosenthal reported that the Cubs are reportedly finalizing a deal to acquire Cabrera from the Marlins, a move that would take him off the Yankees’ radar, although details are still emerging and the trade has not yet been officially confirmed.

Source confirms: Cubs close to acquiring RHP Edward Cabrera from Marlins. First: @Michael_Cerami
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) January 7, 2026

Adding to the disappointment for Yankees fans and front office watchers, Jon Heyman of the New York Post later noted that the Yankees were “never close” to completing a trade for Cabrera, suggesting that earlier optimism may have overstated how near New York really was to locking down the Marlins’ righty.

This is a significant miss for the Yankees because Cabrera offered both present and future value: at age 27 with team control through 2028 and a relatively affordable arbitration projection (about $3.7 million in 2026), he could have bolstered the rotation immediately while remaining a controllable asset for years. In addition to his 2025 ERA and strikeout totals, Cabrera’s improved command, lowering his walk rate to a career‑best, made him one of the more intriguing young arms available.

Now, with Cabrera seemingly headed to the National League and not to Yankee Stadium, New York’s pitching search must pivot again, leaving them to pursue other targets or alternatives in free agency and trade conversations.

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

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