The Chicago Cubs have reportedly signed left-handed reliever to a major league contract. Top prospect, 28, was recently designated for assignment by the New York Mets and chose free agency over a Triple-A assignment after clearing waivers.
He started the 2025 season on a minor league deal with the Mets and began the year with their Triple-A affiliate in Syracuse. He was called up on May 1 and appeared in six games, posting a 3.52 ERA over 7.2 innings with seven strikeouts and three walks before being DFA’d on May 24.
He now returns to the big leagues with the Cubs, as first reported by Mike Rodriguez and confirmed by Jon Heyman and Andy Martinez. His signing adds another left-handed option to the Cubs’ bullpen, which already includes veterans Drew Pomeranz and Caleb Thielbar. If no injuries are involved, recently-promoted reliever Brooks Kriske could be the odd man out, as he doesn’t have any minor league options and would need to be designated for assignment.
Cabrera, a former St. Louis Cardinal, is known for his high-velocity fastball, still averaging over 96 mph. He was originally signed by the Rays and traded to the Cardinals in 2018. Cabrera debuted in 2019 and had strong strikeout numbers in 2020-21, though command has always been an issue—he’s posted walk rates of at least 10% every year in the majors.
In 2023, Cabrera was traded to the Blue Jays and finished the season strong, with a 2.66 ERA and 0.97 WHIP over 23.2 innings. He followed that with a solid 2024 season, putting up a 3.59 ERA in 62.2 innings, though his strikeout rate declined.
In total, Cabrera has a 3.88 ERA across 283.1 MLB innings. While command remains a concern, he brings power stuff and has the potential to be an effective bullpen arm for stretches—something the Cubs hope to tap into as they bolster their relief corps.