Three Cubs trade options involving Marlins

Cabrera is a talented pitcher for the Marlins (Jasen Vinlove - USA Today Sports)

by Dustin Riese - Senior Writer - Tue Jan 10 17:34:18 GMT-04:00 2023

You can never have too much starting pitching, and the Cubs made sure to follow that this offseason. After signing Jameson Taillon and Drew Smyly to free-agent contracts, the Cubs have eight to 10 starters to choose from as the season starts. Most of those pitchers will be in the starting rotation, but you must figure out what happens to the rest.

Do you send them to the bullpen to keep them on the roster, or do you send them to the minors to give them more work? That is a question the Cubs will have to face this season, which will be answered in the Spring. However, even with the moves the Cubs have made, they still lack an ace or a top-of-rotation arm, and some feel they need at least one more arm in that rotation to put them over the top.

Given what the free agent pool currently looks like, bringing in pitching help will have to come from the trade market, and the Miami Marlins are not only open for business, but have plenty of pitching to be had. Take Sandy Alcantara out of the equation, as he just won the CY Young award, everyone else on the Marlins staff is available, and the Cubs need to inquire about them all.

We won't touch on Pablo Lopez too much, as we covered him earlier in the offseason, but he seems like the perfect fit for the Cubs and their rotation. He is someone you could make an Ace this season and then move to the middle of the rotation later on if you get a true bonafide ace. Miami has other options apart from those two, which are very intriguing.

Edward Cabrera

Cabrera burst onto the scene last year in 2022 after getting roughed up in his debut a season prior. At 24 years old, Cabrera displayed a three-pitch mix of fastball, slider, and change-up. Although limited to just 72 innings in 2022, Cabrera was outstanding, posting a 3.01 ERA.

I'm surprised to see Cabrera be one of the four available because his potential is through the roof. The most attractive thing about this acquisition is that Cabrera is under contract through 2029. That is still six years away, and leading up to that, he has the chance to be an elite pitcher in this league. Should he take another step forward in 2023, you're looking at a guy that can become one of the better pitchers in the league—something the Cubs desperately need on their roster.

Trevor Rogers

In an era where left-handed pitching is at a premium, Trevor Rogers is one of the more underrated lefties in the game. However, he is coming off a down 2022 season after breaking out in 2021. He finished 2021 with a 2.64 ERA in 133 innings but spun out of control with a 5.47 in 2022. That has to be a concern for the Marlins and anyone looking to trade for him.

However, due to his rough season last year, his price tag most likely dropped, which helps the Cubs. This could be a case of Carter and Jed seeing something they like in him and trying to unlock that in their pitching lab. After all, he flashed elite stuff, but has yet to show that consistently.

Rogers still has four years of team control. Although, after a down showing in 2020, followed by more of the same in 2022, he may be able to be had for cheaper than the rest on this list. If this is a name the Cubs want, he is another front-line or, at worst, a top three starter to build your rotation around for years.

Jesus Luzardo

Speaking of lefties, the Marlins have not one, but two good lefties, with Luzardo being the second. This is a name the Cubs are far too familiar with, as he faced the Cubs twice last season and dominated them in both outings.

At only 25 years old, Luzardo is another candidate who still needs to reach his true potential, and it's a team like the Cubs that could help get him there. Before the 2022 season, Luzardo had a career ERA north of 5.3 and was even over six in 2021. Then came 2022, when he unlocked that potential and pitched to a 3.32 ERA across 100 innings and 19 starts.

Another one under control for several years, Luzardo, hits the free-agent market in 2027. However, he may have the best chance of becoming the Cubs' ace. These are all great possibilities for the Cubs to consider, as the Marlins are expected to be very active on the trade front this season.