The market for starting pitchers is really starting to pick up.
Right now, the Yankees are in discussions with the Marlins about acquiring right-hander Edward Cabrera. This was confirmed by Jon Heyman from the paper.
The Athletic initially broke the news about the meeting.
While nothing is set in stone yet, this is pretty solid evidence that the Yankees aim to bolster their rotation starting in 2026, especially with the absence of three primary starters.
New York is currently missing former Cy Young Award winners Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodon, and Clark Schmidt, all of whom are dealing with elbow injuries.
Cole and Rodon might be back by May, but Schmidt is expected to be out until later in the season.
Besides the Yankees, both the Mets and Cubs have shown interest in Cabrera, as reported by Barry Jackson from the Miami Herald.
The Astros, who recently signed Japanese star Tatsuya Imai, and the Orioles, who just got Shane Baz, seem to have dropped out of the running for Cabrera.
Cabrera, who’s 27, has been frequently mentioned as a potential trade option this offseason, along with his teammate Sandy Alcantara.
He’s actually having the best season of his career, holding an 8-7 record along with a 3.53 ERA and 150 strikeouts over 137 1/3 innings. Those stats are both career highs for him.
With Cabrera set to earn $3.75 million in 2026, he would have three more years under team control, which is certainly appealing. That said, his history of injuries raises some eyebrows. Earlier this season, he dealt with a blister and, more recently, an elbow sprain that placed him on the disabled list in September.
A shoulder issue also limited him to just 20 starts in 2024.
If he stays healthy, Cabrera could really enhance the Yankees’ rotation alongside Max Fried, Luis Gil, Cam Schrittler, and Will Warren.
The Yankees previously re-signed veteran Ryan Yarbrough this offseason, adding some much-needed depth to their starting lineup.
Moreover, the Yankees are still “continuing discussions” about Brewers ace Freddy Peralta, according to The Athletic.
