Not Again

What, do the Marlins have dirt on both baseball front offices in Chicago? Magic dust? The ability to cast spells? Whatever the answer, Miami has another hitter from these part in exchange for a pitcher with a whole lot question marks attached. First, it was the Whites Sox sending Jake Burger in August of 2023 to the Marlins in exchange for minor-league hurler Jake Eder, a trade that may or may not have signaled the end of the Kenny Williams-Rick Hahn partnership. In his one full season at Double-A Birmingham in 2024, Eder went 2-5 with a 5.09 ERA in fifteen starts. We sold him to the Angels at the end of spring training last year, and the Angels traded him to the Nationals in July. Burger has hit 54 homeruns in the 2-1/2 seasons since. And now the Cubs have gotten into the act by sending outfielder Owen Caissie and two other prospects to Miami for starter Edward Cabrera. The 27-year old had a career year last season, going 8-7 with a 3.53 ERA in 25 starts. The righthander notched 150 strikeouts in 137.2 innings. Both those numbers are career highs. Did I mention he’s also gone on the IL eleven times since turning pro in 2016? The 23-year old, lefthanded-hitting Caissie was seen as having first crack in right field with Kyle Tucker leaving in free agency. (Of course, Tucker could resign with the Cubs, just like Elon Musk could take a vow of silence.) All the guy has ever done in five minor-league seasons—he was drafted out of high school by the Padres in 2020 and traded to the Cubs in the Yu Darvish deal—is hit, and he certainly look relaxed at the plate in a late-season callup to the North Side. It looks like Seiya Suzuki is back in right field, certainly good news for any opposing team; Of course, Suzuki could always win a Gold Glove, just like Elon Musk….On top of that, the 31-year old Suzuki will be entering his walk year. Ditto Ian Happ. What’s the plan here, trade the young guys (remember, they traded Cam Smith for one year of Tucker), resign the old guys? In all honesty, I think the reason I’m ticked is that I would’ve loved to see Caissie starting in right for the Sox. Apparently, Chris Getz doesn’t excel at blackmail the way the Marlins’ front office does.