The hot stove can be unforgiving, and General Manager Brian Cashman just learned that lesson the hard way. While the Yankees were busy weighing their options, the Chicago Cubs swooped in to finalize a deal for Miami Marlins right-hander Edward Cabrera, taking one of the market’s most intriguing high-upside arms off the board.
According to recent reports, the Cubs are finalizing the deal for Edward Cabrera, and the Yankees were never close to getting him, leaving the Bronx Bombers scrambling for alternatives in a market that just got significantly more expensive.
A Missed Opportunity at a Reasonable Price
The frustration here isn’t just that the Yankees lost out on Cabrera; it’s that the price tag was manageable. Cabrera, who is under team control through 2028, was moved for a package that, while valuable, didn’t require the Cubs to completely gut their system in the same way a trade for a Cy Young contender would.
For the Yankees, matching the valuation likely would have required parting with solid prospect capital, but they wouldn’t have needed to touch their “big three.” They could have likely pulled this off without including Spencer Jones, George Lombard Jr., or Elmer Rodriguez—the untouchables Cashman is rightfully guarding.
Instead of pulling the trigger on a deal using their depth, the Yankees hesitated, and now a 27-year-old arm with electric stuff is heading to the North Side of Chicago.
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Cabrera Was the Perfect “Fixer-Upper”
Cabrera’s 2025 campaign showed exactly why he was such a tantalizing target. Finally staying relatively healthy, he tossed 137.2 innings with a 3.53 ERA and 150 strikeouts. His swing-and-miss stuff was elite, evidenced by a 25.8% strikeout rate. Yes, he carries injury risk, but that risk was priced into the trade cost. The Yankees passed on a pitcher who could have been a solid No. 3 or No. 4 starter with No. 2 upside, all for a mid-tier prospect cost.
The Pivot: MacKenzie Gore and Freddy Peralta Will Cost a Fortune
With Cabrera gone, the Yankees are forced to look at the next tier of targets, and the price of admission just doubled. The two names now circling the rumor mill are MacKenzie Gore of the Washington Nationals and Freddy Peralta of the Milwaukee Brewers. Unlike Cabrera, acquiring either of these arms will likely require painful prospect departures.
- Freddy Peralta (Brewers): Peralta is a legitimate ace. In 2025, he went 17-6 with a 2.70 ERA and 204 strikeouts in 176.2 innings. He is a proven commodity who dominates hitters, but the Brewers know exactly what they have. Trading for Peralta isn’t a “buy low” situation; it’s a blockbuster that will demand top-100 prospects.
- MacKenzie Gore (Nationals): Gore offers a different kind of appeal. The young lefty posted a 4.17 ERA last season across 159.2 innings, racking up 185 strikeouts. While his surface numbers aren’t as shiny as Peralta’s, his pedigree as a former top prospect and his years of control make him an incredibly expensive asset. The Nationals aren’t rebuilding anymore; they are looking to compete, meaning they would need to be blown away to move him.
Cashman had a chance to reinforce the rotation with a calculated gamble. By letting Cabrera walk to the Cubs, he has backed himself into a corner where the only way out is to overpay for a premium arm.