Given their injury history, neither Cabrera nor Weathers has undergone Tommy John surgery to this point, and if either were to in 2026, the Marlins would likely be in a spot where they would be attempting to salvage pennies on the dollar for either, depending on the timing.
But it doesn’t even have to be that catastrophic; another flexor issue, lat strain, etc., could be enough to scare teams off for good, while eating into coveted team control.
Why This Trade Was a No-Brainer for the Yankees
Now that I’m through the hard part, trading for Weathers was a slam dunk for the Yankees. I really do believe Weathers was on the cusp of a breakout season in 2025 before being derailed by injuries.
His fastball was a tick harder with an inch more of induced vertical break and three less horizontal, his changeup had more depth than ever, generating more than 14 inches of vertical separation, and he tightened up his sweeper to a harder and sharper offering.
Also, for a Yankees team that is a Cody Bellinger return away from a higher payroll than last year, bringing in Weathers at his $1.35 million price tag with three years of control potentially answers a need without compromising their ability to push for Bellinger or another bat they may be interested in.
I will get more into the package as I wrap up with the Marlins angle, but for a team that is perpetually in win-now mode, moving four prospects who are not near helping the big league team in 2026 is easily palatable.