Revisiting the Edward Cabrera-Owen Caissie Trade 16 Games Into the Season
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The Miami Marlins ' headline trade this offseason came with loads of speculation and excitement on both sides of the coin. Owen Cassie, Cristian Hernandez, and Edgardo De Leon were acquired by the Marlins in exchange for Edward Cabrera.
Cassie immediately became the team's No. 3-ranked prospect and No. 37 in all of baseball. He made the team out of Spring Training, but has struggled out of the gate. He's slashing .245/.309/.449 with two homers, 12 RBI, and 23 strikeouts.
Owen Caissie Has Bright Future Despite Meddling Beginning to Career
Cabrera, on the other hand, has already made himself well-known to the Cubs fanbase. He's allowed just three runs and 10 hits in 16.2 innings while walking five and striking out 13. He allowed virtually every ounce of offensive production in his most recent start against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Over his first two starts, he allowed two hits and zero runs over 11.2 innings. It sure looks like the Cubs won this trade early into the season, but there's so much baseball remaining.
What made Caissie shine in the minor leagues was his power. He hit 29+ doubles and 19+ homers in each of his final three seasons in the minors. His high strikeout rate is alarming, but nothing out of the ordinary. He posted a 27.9+ K/rate in each of the last two seasons with the Cubs' Triple-A affiliate.
Through his first five games in March, Caissie was batting .400, but once the calendar turned to April, it's been a different story. He's recorded hits in just four of his eleven games this month and three extra-base hits. He's also struck out at least twice in seven of the eleven games, including an 0-for-4 night with four punchouts on Tuesday.
Cabrera has been absolutely nails for Chicago to open the season, but has been wild. He's averaging 4.86 BB/9 innings, which isn't too far off from his career average of 4.52. While his on-field numbers are elite, some underlying stats are questionable.
His xERA is 3.75; his whiff rate, strikeout rate, ground ball rate, and fastball velocity are all down from last season. On the bright side, his hard hit rate has dropped substantially so far, from being in the bottom 8% of pitchers last season. Yes, he's pitched exceptionally to open the year, but the underlying numbers don't support his long-term success. Right now at least.
Edward Cabrera Is Dominating in Chicago, but Underlying Stats Don’t Back It Up
The Cubs have two more seasons of control of Cabrera after this year. If his career arc is sustained, his 3.53 ERA over 26 starts from last season will only be improved upon, but I'm not convinced.
The other two pieces of the trade aren't at high levels of the minor yet, but have some upside. Hernandez is 4 for 29 with six walks and four stolen bases through eight games at Double-A Pensacola to begin the season. The middle infielder batted .252/.329/.365 over 115 games at High-A South Bend last season. He's the Marlins No. 16-ranked prospect.
The final addition to the Marlins' haul was corner infielder Edgardo De Leon. He's batted .276/.395/.465 with 10 homers and a dozen doubles over 91 games and two seasons in rookie ball. He's entering his age-19 season.
Realistically, no one has won the trade yet. It may not appear that way on the surface, but there is a long way to go. Caissie just began his big-league contract, and Cabrera still has nearly three full seasons in Chicago. Time will tell if this was a good deal for Miami, but there are still things to be excited about despite Caissie's lackluster beginning to 2026.
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Jeffrey is a sports writer located in Louisville, Kentucky, with a passion for sports, writing, and storytelling. He has hundreds of published articles across various platforms, including Kentucky Today, The Baptist Courier, FanSided, and more. Jeffrey is a senior at Indiana University Southeast pursuing a B.S. in Journalism/Media with a Minor in Writing. He has a beautiful wife, dog, and firstborn child on the way.