Marlins, Pirates in trade talks regarding starting pitching

7 minutes ago, Indica Jones said:

This may be the most MEH 🤷‍♂️ I've ever felt about a trade. Not liking the returns I am seeing floated around.

The Marlins don't have much leverage, unfortunately. Everybody knows that they were shopping Cabrera last year. Took a step back with his control and now he's out of options, so it is a make-or-break season for him.

I'd rather take a chance on a prospect deeper down in the Pirates system with more upside rather than the fringy role players that this Pirates writer mentions.

3 hours ago, One Regend said:

I have to echo the sentiment that trading Cabrera now would be a mistake. They would not only be selling painfully low on him, but in doing so, they're throwing away what little starting pitching depth they have left. Best to just trot him out and see what they get out of him, and demote him into the bullpen if he continues walking 6.0 BB/9. I understand that they can only put up with him walking the farm for so long, but 100 mph FBs and 97 mph changeups, both with excellent movement, don't grow on trees.

Furthermore, the last thing we need is yet another player with no pop at the plate. Liover and Nick Gonzales I can maybe understand attracting to Miami, but when we already have Luis Arraez and Xavier Edwards, we don't need another Magneuris Sierra-type player. Hard no to Bae.

Well GIVING Cabrera away would certainly be a mistake. If the Pirates are only willing to part with fringy utility types and rookie-ball lottery tickets but nothing in between, then that would be selling too low. I would expect some team to step up with a better offer if the Marlins were widely shopping him. 

21 hours ago, Slacker Mills said:

Of all Marlin pitchers, Cabrera is the one I most look forward to watching. Problems: hitters lay off the fastball because he loses it up and in to right-handed hitters. It has more movement than his change, which is the pitch that opposing hitters are waiting for. It is said that a change should be 8-10 mph slower than the heater. His is certainly not. It is a hit-me avg fastball in effect, a pitch that he has to slow down in order to generate more movement and deception. You don't even consider trading a guy like Cabrera at this point. Out of the question (unless you are getting a Noelvi Marte in return).

It is frustrating to think about how much more effective he would be with decent fastball command and the additional swing-and-miss potential his changeup would have if he slowed it down to create a wider contrast in velo.

8 hours ago, Slacker Mills said:

We also have to remember that the last two starters we traded proved to be stars the year after. Gallen. Lopez. We don't want to add Cabrera to that list unless we score a big time guy like Noelvi Marte from CINN.

Completely fair to bring those two up, though the circumstances were different. Gallen's stock had risen dramatically over a matter of months and they wanted to capitalize on that, while the team's cheapness was largely responsible for shopping López (they were unwilling to extend him at anything close to his market rate).

The cautionary tale who comes to mind for me is Brad Hand. He was at a very similar stage of his career. At least in Cabrera's case, they would be getting something in return (Hand departed as a waiver claim).