The Chicago Cubs’ first big move of the offseason made big-time headlines and signaled that the team was serious about competing for a championship in 2026.
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After flirting with the idea of trading for the Miami Marlins’ emerging powerhouse starter Edward Cabrera since 2024, Cubs president Jed Hoyer finally pulled the trigger on the big deal.
Bringing the 27-year-old righty aboard, however, cost the Cubs their top prospect Owen Caissie, their no. 11 prospect Cristian Hernandez, and young talent Edgardo De Leon. It was a big price to pay, but one deemed worth the payout for three full years of a starting pitcher many think is on the verge of breaking through to next-level success.
The Caissie-Cabrera trade as a mixed bag
Syndication: The Des Moines Register Iowa Cubs’ Owen Caissie (17) makes his way to the dugout on Friday, March 28, 2025, at Principal Park in Des Moines. © Cody Scanlan/The Register / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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It was still, however, a bit of a question mark move as Caissie was expected to help fill the vacant right field spot, along with Seiya Suzuki (who’s in the last year of his contract), left behind by Kyle Tucker.
The trade was a mixed bag for the 23-year-old Caissie. On one hand, he’ll get more of an opportunity to play every day on the rebuilding Marlins. On the other hand, he’s moving from a team expected to make a deep playoff run to a team several years away from even competing for a playoff spot.
Caissie speaks: “I was blocked” in Chicago
Sep 13, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Cubs right fielder Owen Caissie (19) at bat against the Tampa Bay Rays during a game at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images
The power-hitting prospect recently talked about the rough road he had in Chicago and the opportunity currently present on his new team.
“I thought I was pretty blocked…maybe my strikeout rate, but that’s just who I am. I’m going to continue to get better at that,” Caissie told Marlins TV host Craig Mish. “You know, Chicago is pretty stacked. It’s pretty tough for a guy to break through and there’s a big payroll and everything like that…I did eventually break through, but I don’t know the internal stuff, so I’m not going to comment on that.
The Cubs have had a great squad the last couple years and, as a guy coming up the system, it’s really hard to break through. The team’s pretty good…When I was talking to my family, [they said] ‘You’re going to get more of an opportunity here.’ And I was, like, ‘100% true.’ And that’s what I’m really excited for. I can really showcase myself.”
The corner outfielder had a chance to show a little bit of his ability late last season with the Cubs when Tucker went down with a calf injury. Unfortunately, he could only muster one home run and a .192 batting average in 27 plate appearances before a crash against the Wrigley Field outfield ivy and a resulting concussion shut down his season.
Cubs vs. Marlins, according to Caissie
MLB: All Star Futures Game Jul 12, 2025; Atlanta, GA, USA; National League outfielder Owen Caissie (17) of the Chicago Cubs makes a run during the seventh inning against American League at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images
When asked about the difference between the Marlins’ way of doing things and the Cubs’ system, Caissie was as diplomatic as one would expect him to be.
“Not to say that the Cubs don’t compete, but the Marlins pride themselves on the compete aspect in practice from what I’ve seen so far,” he said. “I was here for like a week prior to this and all the days were really challenging stuff, something I was used to with the Cubs, but I’d say there’s more of it here and they really pride themselves on the little things. I’m not saying that the Cubs don’t, but it’s really just…a brand new perspective on how they go about things here and I’m pretty excited to learn more from the guys.”
There’s still debate as to how high Caissie’s ceiling will be, but the Cubs, with expectations of competing in the here and now, can’t necessarily spend that much time on player development at the major league level. All things considered, a mid-to-front-of-rotation starter is much more useful to the team right now than a prospect who may or may not develop into an every day player.
In a best case scenario, this trade might end of being a win-win for all parties involved.
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