The Chicago Cubs’ front office is poised to be a major player this offseason. When speaking with the media at the general meetings in Las Vegas earlier this week, their president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said, “We’re going to have an active offseason. Take that for what it’s worth.”

Cubs fans are sure to hold Hoyer to his word. However, these fans would be wise to show patience in the weeks and months to come, because the teams that pounce first in free agency aren’t always the ones who end up making the biggest splash.

Given that Chicago’s brass is going to be more cautious with how they spend money than some other organizations like the New York Mets, the Yankees, and the Los Angeles Dodgers, there’s less room for error in overpaying a player in free agency. This is also another reason why the Cubs could prefer to make their impact felt through making trades, where they don’t have to give a massive bag to a player on the open market.

And there’s already one potential trade target that would make a lot of sense for Chicago: Miami Marlins hurler Edward Cabrera.

Insider Suggests Cubs Likely to Revisit Edward Cabrera Trade

In a November 14 article, Sahadev Sharma and Patrick Mooney of The Athletic noted that the Marlins are an obvious trade candidate for Chicago, given the pitching talent they have in their system and their willingness to make trades to build toward their future.

The article then noted that the Cubs and Marlins were in trade talks at last season’s deadline, and Cabrera was the pitcher that the Cubs “showed the most interest in.” Soon after, the article asserted that the Cubs believe Cabrera has another level he could reach in terms of his ceiling, especially after a couple of years within their organization.

Cabrera is coming off a solid 2025 campaign where he went 8-7 with a 3.53 ERA and 150 strikeouts in 137.2 innings pitched (26 starts). His electric arm talent and above-average repertoire of pitches, combined with him still being just 27 years old, suggest that he could blossom into an ace-caliber starter with the right franchise and pitching staff.

If the Cubs showed trade interest in him just a few months ago, it would certainly make sense that they’re trying to acquire him once again this winter. But perhaps Jed Hoyer’s promise to improve the roster will be what ultimately gets the deal done.