Cabrera's return enhances Cubs' pitching depth after Deadline

Edward Cabrera and Braxton Garrett bolstered the Cubs' pitching depth. In a recent conversation at Kauffman Stadium, Cabrera listened as lefty Braxton Garrett discussed his trade to the Cubs at the Deadline. Garrett expressed excitement about reuniting with Cabrera, whom he had come up with in the Marlins’ farm system. "I was just telling him earlier how good his English is now," Garrett remarked. “When we first met? Nada.”

Currently, Garrett is on the Cubs’ active roster and serves as a bulk option from the bullpen, providing some "insurance" behind the rotation, as Cubs manager Craig Counsell explained. Cabrera, on the other hand, is on the 15-day injured list but is two starts into a Minor League rehab assignment, with another scheduled for Tuesday with Double-A Knoxville. This assignment was necessary since Triple-A Iowa is set to participate in the MiLB Field of Dreams Game on Tuesday.

The Cubs’ trade for Garrett, made at Monday’s Deadline, was more focused on the future, given that the lefty is under team control through 2028. In contrast, the offseason acquisition of Cabrera was centered on immediate needs. After his upcoming rehab outing, there is a chance Cabrera will be ready to rejoin the Cubs’ rotation. "If it was up to me, I’d be ready to suit up with the team," Cabrera said through team translator Fredy Quevedo Jr. "But there are programs that you have to follow and complete."

During a recent rehab outing with Triple-A Iowa, Cabrera pitched four innings, threw 55 pitches, struck out eight, allowed one unearned run, and only one hit. His velocity reached around 97 mph, even touching 99 mph on occasion, generating 11 swinging strikes. This outing marked a positive development for Cabrera, who has had a mixed performance since joining the Cubs, posting a 3.27 ERA in his initial seven starts but suffering a 7.55 ERA in his next seven. Cabrera also missed time due to a blister issue and was placed on the injured list again in late June with a left hamstring/adductor strain.

Counsell acknowledged Cabrera's promising start and indicated hope for a "good version" of him during the final weeks of the season, noting that reduced mileage could contribute positively. Cabrera’s return would add to a rotation reinforced by recent Deadline acquisitions, including veteran right-handers Kevin Gausman and Clay Holmes. Alongside Cabrera, the rotation features Matthew Boyd, Shota Imanaga, David Peterson, Javier Assad, and Colin Rea. The Cubs currently enjoy substantial depth, especially with Garrett providing additional support.

Garrett, who had a 4.3 bWAR and a 3.66 ERA in 159 2/3 innings with the Marlins as recently as 2023, missed the 2025 season due to Tommy John surgery but has made a solid comeback this year with a 2.90 ERA in 77 2/3 innings with Triple-A Jacksonville. "He’s a super talented pitcher," Cabrera remarked. "I was really happy to reunite with him again. In 2016, we were in the Rookie League. We played together. And now 10 years later, we reunite once again."

Garrett understands that he may need to wait for his opportunity in the Cubs’ rotation. "We talked about that yesterday with Braxton," Counsell said. "I told him that he’s a bit of insurance for this team right now. However, this is also a new team, and the next two days might be crucial to getting to know some of our pitching language and what we see for him moving forward. If it’s not a big role this year, we could envision one next year."

Garrett expressed his enthusiasm about joining the Cubs. "I’m so pumped to be here," he said. "[Counsell] wants me to integrate with all the pitchers, work with them as much as I can, and keep improving. When my name's called, I’m ready to be an out-getter, and that’s what I’ll do."