Why Miami Marlins should cash in Edward Cabrera ticket and trade him ASAP

Are the Miami Marlins getting ready to move Edward Cabrera?

In the immortal words of Adele, rumor has it. Or if you prefer getting your insights from a Magic 8-ball, signs point to yes. Anyway you slice it, the odds are really starting to look long that Cabrera is still a member of the Miami Marlins come Opening Day 2026.

Which is great, because it's exactly what the Marlins should be doing with their 2025 strikeout leader.

Why? For starters, he's a luxury. While he flashed plenty of talent last season, he's the No. 3 starter for a team with two MLB Top 100 pitching prospects that could force their way into the majors this season. As of this moment, if you generously allow for the possibility of Jose Fernandez-esque spring from Thomas White, the Marlins have nine candidates that pretty much every team in baseball save for the Dodgers would feel good about taking up an Opening Day rotation spot. The cliche about never having enough pitching is a cliche for a reason, but this might be pushing it for a team with limited financial resources. Meanwhile, their offense is in dire need of a boost, particularly at the corner infield spots.

Bottom-line? Miami's starting pitching is playoff caliber right now. The offense isn't. If spending money on a bat is off the table, moving a pitcher is the only way to change an equation that currently adds up to another losing season.

As for why that pitcher should be Cabrera, it's all about the track record. This time a year ago, Cabrera was perilously close to being viewed as essentially a sunk cost. Barely movable, perhaps best suited for the bullpen. In other words, the conversation about him and teammate Max Meyer was kind of similar, even if Cabrera's potential was still viewed as higher. Inconsistent play and injury concerns loomed large.

And then 2025 happened. A breakout effort...with "only" one injury hiccup at the end. Suddenly, the interest and value is back for rival clubs.

That's a huge win for Peter Bendix and the Miami Marlins front office. Pulling off this kind of a rehabilitation project and cashing in is how low-payroll teams stay consistently competitive. In a comp many Marlins fans are likely tired of hearing, it's what the Rays do. Expecting Miami to do something different under Bendix would seem to miss the point of why owner Bruce Sherman brought Bendix here to begin with.

This is also very different from past trades of talented Marlins that tend to come to mind for Miami fans this time of year. Dealing Cabrera isn't about his becoming prohibitively expensive, or hitting the reset button on the franchise's competitive window. This is not that, even if the Cabrera trade ends up being all for prospects that start the year in the minors. The Marlins have the pitching depth to do this once and still field a formidable starting rotation, especially if some of the early offseason rumors about the team considering adding a veteran starting pitcher come back around.

Again, the Marlins have far too often sold low to save money, or dealt known quantities for unknown ones. Getting something for what was at one point next to nothing? That's the kind of transaction they've made far too little of in their history. Right now, it would appear Cabrera is the belle of the offseason ball. One more injury though, and Cabrera is probably just a pumpkin again.

If the Marlins can get something even close to the price they are looking for, I say deal Cabrera and don't look back.