The Chicago Cubs added Edward Cabrera to their rotation Wednesday, acquiring the right-hander in a trade with the Miami Marlins in their first major offseason move.
The Cubs sent outfielder Owen Caissie — the team’s top prospect, according to MLB Pipeline — and infield prospects Cristian Hernandez and Edgardo De Leon to Miami for Cabrera, who went 8-7 with a 3.53 ERA in a career-high 26 starts and 137 2/3 innings last year.
The Cubs announced the trade Wednesday evening.
Cabrera, who turns 28 in April, is eligible for arbitration and cannot become a free agent until after the 2028 season.
The Cubs finished second in the NL Central last year with a 92-70 record. They made the playoffs for the first time since 2020 before they lost to the Milwaukee Brewers in a five-game NL division series.
Cabrera joins a deep rotation that includes Matthew Boyd, Shota Imanaga, Cade Horton and Jameson Taillon. Colin Rea and Javier Assad are two more starting options, and Justin Steele is coming back after undergoing left elbow surgery April 18.
Rated as the No. 47 prospect overall, Caissie can play all three outfield positions but has played primarily in right field. He has a .280 average (.384 on base average), 81 home runs and 301 RBIs in 505 minor-league games over five seasons.
The left-handed-hitting Caissie, 23, could compete for a starting job after making his major-league debut in August. Caissie, a second-round pick in the 2020 draft, hit .192 in 12 games with the Cubs, but he batted .286 with 22 home runs and 55 RBIs with Triple-A Iowa last season.
The 6-foot-5 Cabrera made his major-league debut with the Marlins in 2021. He is 25-29 with a 4.07 ERA in 87 career starts and two relief appearances.
Cabrera arrives in Chicago with some injury concerns, including recurring blisters on his right middle finger. He also was placed on the injured list Sept. 1 with a right elbow sprain. He returned Sept. 23 and pitched five shutout innings against the New York Mets in his final start of the season Sept. 28.
Cabrera has made 11 trips to the injured list as a professional. Beyond the injury concerns, the Marlins had been trying to trade Cabrera in part because they want to improve their depth of offensive talent in the system and in part because they’re comfortable with their pitching depth.
While the addition of Cabrera strengthens the Cubs rotation, Caissie was expected to compete for time in right field. Kyle Tucker is expected to leave the Cubs in free agency.
The Marlins went 79-83 in their first season under manager Clayton McCullough, a 17-game improvement from their last-place finish in 2024. Sandy Alcantara and Eury Pérez lead the team’s rotation.
Hernandez, 22, batted .252 with seven home runs and 53 RBIs for High A South Bend last year. He was the Cubs’ No. 11 prospect, according to MLB.com. De Leon, 18, played for the Cubs in the Arizona Complex League in 2025, hitting .276 with five home runs and 15 RBIs in 43 games.
Also Wednesday, the Cubs claimed left-hander Ryan Rolison off waivers from the Chicago White Sox. Rolison, 28, made his big-league debut with the Colorado Rockies in May.
Tribune news services contributed.