Blue Jays Perfect Trade Target Resides With Marlins

The Toronto Blue Jays would be smart to target a trade with the Miami Marlins.

Apr 11, 2019; Cincinnati, OH, USA; A view of a New Era Miami Marlins hat in the dugout during the game against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. | Aaron Doster-Imagn Images

The Toronto Blue Jays have taken control of the American League East, owning the best record in baseball at 63-43 and holding a 5.5-game division lead over the New York Yankees.

They are in a great position with the team clicking on all cylinders and the front office should aggressively look to augment the roster, bringing in reinforcements for the positions that need it most.

Atop their to-do list ahead of the MLB trade deadline on July 31 is adding to their starting rotation.

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Jose Berrios, Kevin Gausman and Chris Bassitt have been a reliable trio, but things have been messy behind them, lowering the ceiling of the group as a whole.

As shared by Eno Sarris of The Athletic (subscription required), the Blue Jays current situation when it comes to starting pitching depth is so-so.

They are projected to be a middle-of-the-road group, not helping push the team forward on their pursuit of a playoff spot, while also not hurting the team’s chances of making a run.

If they want to seriously contend with the other top teams in the American League, such as the Yankees, Detroit Tigers and Houston Astros, who all possess legitimate aces atop their rotation, adding a starting pitcher is imperative.

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Who could Toronto look to target?

One player who checks all of the boxes the Blue Jays are looking for is a Miami Marlins star.

No, not Sandy Alcantara, but his teammate who has been outperforming him all year: Edward Cabrera.

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“But for a team that will lose some key players in the offseason, and has others who are definitively past their peaks, it’s worth wondering if they should seize the opportunity they have right now. This is not a rotation with outstanding stuff – could an Edward Cabrera make sense? Lightning in a bottle? A kid with a 96 mph changeup?” Sarris wrote at The Athletic.

Possessing some of the most electric stuff in baseball, the dynamic right-hander has begun figuring it out in 2025.

Through 17 starts, he has a 3.48 ERA across 88 innings with 92 strikeouts. The most important improvement that has led to his turnaround is increased control of his arsenal.

Coming into the year, the lowest BB/9 ratio Cabrera had recorded in his career was 4.1, with a career mark of 4.7. This season, it sits at a very respectable 3.1.

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His 3.55 FIP indicates this isn’t a fluke, as he has legitimately turned a corner with his performance on the mound.

Another reason Cabrera is an ideal fit for Toronto is that he is under team control through 2028.

With Bassitt and Max Scherzer both set to hit free agency this upcoming winter, there are legitimate long-term question marks about this rotation until the torch is passed to top prospects such as Trey Yesavage, Johnny King and Khal Stephen down the road.

Cabrera could help bridge that gap, addressing an immediate and long-term need for the franchise.

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