Marlins acquire Cubs' top prospect, two others for pitcher Edward Cabrera
Published in Baseball
MIAMI — The Marlins on Wednesday traded pitcher Edward Cabrera to the Chicago Cubs in a deal that landed Miami three prospects, including the player rated first overall in the Cubs’ farm system.
That top overall prospect, 23-year-old Owen Caissie, hit .286, with 22 homers and 55 RBIs at Triple-A Iowa last season and is considered a big league ready bat, though he struggled during a brief big league stint last season (five hits, a walk and 11 strikeouts in 27 plate appearances).
The left-handed hitting Caissie, who is rated by MLB Pipeline as the sport’s 47th best prospect, can play all three outfield positions but has played primarily in right field. He has a .280 average (.384 on base average), 81 homers and 301 RBIs in 505 minor-league games over five seasons.
Miami also acquired infielder Cristian Hernandez, who is rated Chicago’s No. 11 prospect by MLB.com, as well as first baseman/third baseman/left fielder Edgardo DeLeon.
Here’s how MLB.com assessed Caissie: “The highest-drafted Canadian outfielder ever, Caissie signed with the Padres for $1,200,004 as the 45th overall pick in 2020, but he never played a game in the organization. San Diego dealt him with three other prospects and Zach Davies to get Yu Darvish and Victor Caratini from the Cubs that December. He has handled aggressive assignments with aplomb, powering High-A South Bend (2022) and Double-A Tennessee (2023) to championships before slashing .278/.375/.472 with 19 homers as the Triple-A International League’s second-youngest batting qualifier (age 21) last year.
“Caissie has had no difficulty producing against much older competition, creating huge raw power with the bat speed and loft in his left-handed swing and the still-growing strength and leverage in his 6-foot-3 frame. He could provide 30 or more homers per season, with his pop playing from left-center to the right-field line and against both lefties and righties. He’s an aggressive hitter with a naturally long stroke, leading to a 29 percent strikeout rate in his first four pro seasons, yet he’s also a career .278 hitter with a 14 percent walk rate.
“Caissie is deceptively quick for his size, flashing plus speed at times and showing the ability to steal an occasional base. He has improved his reads and routes in the outfield and covers ground well enough to be at least an average defender. With his power and plus arm strength, he fits the right-field profile.”
The right-handed hitting Hernandez, a 22-year-old shortstop/second baseman, hit .252 (.329 on base) with seven homers, 53 RBIs and 52 steals in 61 at bats at 115 games at High A South Bend last season.
MLB.com’s scouting report on him: “Hernandez generated as much hype as anyone in the 2020-21 international class, drawing physical comparisons to Alex Rodriguez and Manny Machado, while some scouts rated him the best prospect available. Signed for $3 million out of the Dominican Republic, he fared well in his 2021 pro debut but struggled in his first two seasons in the United States. He earned All-Star accolades in the Single-A Carolina League last year after slashing .269/.382/.406 with 34 extra-base hits and 37 steals in 95 games and spent the final month in High A.
“Hernandez has some of the best bat speed in the system and could translate it into 20 homers per season as he continues to add strength and learns to lift balls in the air more consistently. A much more disciplined approach fueled his growth at the plate in 2024, as he chased less and did a better job of using the entire field. The next step will be improving his timing and shortening his right-handed stroke so he can catch up to quality fastballs.
“A solid runner with good instincts, Hernandez has stolen 98 bases in 117 attempts (83.8 percent) in 315 pro games. He has the quickness and arm strength to play at least an average shortstop, though like most youngsters he needs to improve his defensive consistency. He’s more than capable at second base as well and has the tools for third base if needed.”
The right-handed-hitting DeLeon, who is not ranked among the Cubs’ top 30 prospects, is an 18-year-old who hit .276 (.395 on base) with 10 homers and 40 RBIs over two seasons in rookie league.
Cabrera, 27, had a breakout season last year, posting a 3.53 ERA and 8-7 record in 26 starts, with 150 strikeouts in 137 innings. But the Marlins decided in recent weeks that a trade would be best, in part because of his history of injuries.
He has made 11 trips to the injured list as a professional and his elbow caused some discomfort late last season. After resting for several days, Cabrera said he felt fine and pitched a game in the final week of the season.
Beyond the injury concerns, the Marlins have 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. Pitchers Thomas White and Robby Snelling, two highly-regarded prospects, are close to the majors.
The Marlins, even without Cabrera, have Sandy Alcantara and Eury Perez at the top of the 2026 rotation and Ryan Weathers, Braxton Garrett, Janson Junk, Max Meyer, Ryan Gusto and Adam Mazur also competing for spots.
The Marlins also have spoken to the Mets and Yankees in recent days about a Cabrera trade. The Cubs’ package involved the best hitting prospect offered by the three teams (Caissie).
Cabrera, who is under team control for three more seasons, is 25-29 with a 4.07 ERA in 89 games (87 starts) over five seasons, all with the Marlins.
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