LIVE Mini-Reaction!: Cubs Land Edward Cabrera in Trade, Phillies Enter the Bo Bichette Market, & Upside Takes Center Stage | 129

Episode 129 of Tablesetters is a mini reaction episode focused on two developments that highlight how teams are navigating an offseason where certainty has become increasingly expensive.

The episode opens in Chicago, where the Cubs land right-hander Edward Cabrera in a trade with the Marlins, sending outfielder Owen Caissie and infield prospects Cristian Hernandez and Edgardo De Leon to Miami. While the deal resembles a familiar exchange of pitching for position-player depth, it reflects a deliberate pivot toward upside as the Cubs address rotation needs amid a thinning pitching market.

Cabrera had been on Chicago’s radar since last summer’s trade deadline. When rotation concerns resurfaced in October and elite starters quickly came off the board this winter, the Cubs turned to a pitcher whose ceiling is difficult to find outside the top tier of the market.

The Cubs acquire Cabrera after the most complete season of his career. In 2025, he posted a 3.53 ERA across 26 starts with 150 strikeouts in 137⅔ innings. From early May through early August, he recorded a 2.22 ERA, pitching like a frontline starter over a sustained stretch. That performance was driven by a dominant changeup, elite swing-and-miss breaking balls, and meaningful improvement in his control.

The risk remains part of the profile. Fastball inconsistency and durability questions persist, and the Cubs are not acquiring a finished product. They are betting that the gains are real and that their development infrastructure can push the profile further.

The episode then shifts to Philadelphia, where the Phillies have scheduled a meeting with Bo Bichette. The discussion centers on why the fit exists now, how Bichette’s flexibility reshapes the infield picture, and what a potential move would mean for the Phillies’ payroll and roster construction.

Episode 129 examines two different paths to the same question. When certainty is expensive, how far are teams willing to lean into upside?

TableSetters is where roster decisions, front office thinking, and the business of winning meet.

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