Cubs’ Trade Deadline Gamble Backfires as Star Shines Again

The Chicago Cubs pulled off a narrow series win over the Baltimore Orioles on Sunday, thanks to a walk-off homer from Justin Turner. But that late-game heroics couldn’t cover up a growing concern: Chicago’s trade deadline inaction is already proving costly.

Yes, the Cubs won two of three games, but both victories came by razor-thin margins against an Orioles team that had just offloaded key bullpen arms. With the Milwaukee Brewers still two games ahead in the NL Central, the Cubs’ postseason hopes feel shakier than ever.

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Cabrera Dominates With the Marlins

What’s more frustrating for fans is watching the exact player the Cubs passed on dominate elsewhere. Edward Cabrera, the Miami Marlins right-hander, pitched a gem against the New York Yankees over the weekend. He allowed just one run across six innings, striking out seven and walking only one. The numbers are impressive, but his stuff looked even better on the mound.

Cabrera has finally taken the leap many hoped he would. He boasts a 3.24 ERA and the lowest walk rate of his career through 19 starts. He’s also under team control through 2028, making him a dream trade target the type of controllable, ascending starter the Cubs could build around for years.

Reports suggest the Marlins had a high asking price, as expected. It would’ve hurt to give up prospects like Matt Shaw, Owen Caissie, or Jaxon Wiggins, but that may have been the cost of going all-in for a World Series run. Instead, Cubs President Jed Hoyer held back and Cabrera’s stellar outings are making that decision harder to defend.

There’s still a path forward. Maybe Michael Soroka finds consistency. Maybe the bats heat up. But beyond Shota Imanaga and Matthew Boyd, the rotation is full of question marks, and the bullpen isn’t built to cover that gap.

Cabrera could’ve anchored the rotation and shifted the team’s outlook. Instead, he’s a weekly reminder of what might have been. And what still might cost the Cubs come October.

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