Pirates fans should be thankful this offseason trade rumor never materialized

Right before spring training in 2024, the Pirates were involved in a slew of trade rumors centered around young Miami Marlins right-hander Edward Cabrera. Although it was just rumor buzz and nothing transpired from it, the situation makes one consider the reverberations of that potential deal hopping out of Jason Mackey's drafts and coming to fruition.

Looking back on it a season later, Pirates fans should be thankful that the rumors never grew into something bigger. It would have taken a package of prospects to obtain Cabrera and, considering the likely price at the time, such a deal would not have been worth it. Cabrera's 2024 performance supports all parties parting ways. Let's examine what this deal could have done and how it could have impacted the Pirates.

What would the Pirates' roster look like if the Edward Cabrera trade rumors came to life?

If the Pirates had acquired Cabrera, they would have gotten an arm that would have been sixth in the rotation, statistically. The top five starters in Pittsburgh's rotation all had a better year in 2024 over Cabrera.

Last season, Cabrera posted an earned run average of 4.95 across 96.1 innings and struck out 107 batters. Opposing hitters batted .226 against him, but his walk percentage was at 12%, which built up to an unpleasant 1.37 WHIP.

Four of Cabrera's five pitches had a negative run value. The only one that was positive was his slider, which he threw the least out of them all. Batters hit the ball hard against each of Cabrera's pitches as well. The lowest hard-hit rate against any one of his offerings was 33.3%, and that was on his slider and sinker. The rest were all tattooed regularly, as his issues with giving up solid contact grew.

Overall, his inability to shut down opposing hitters has long prevented him from living up to the hype that he received prior to his debut. Acquiring him would have pushed the Pirates back at the big-eague level by preventing rookie sensation Paul Skenes and other exciting first year starter Jared Jones from joining the team in Pittsburgh.

Pirates fans should be happy that this never grew into anything more than a rumor. This could have cost a package of multiple prospects for an arm that would have made the Pirates worse.