Cubs' Edward Cabrera trade could have ideal Yankees ripple effect in righty search

In the wake of the Chicago Cubs pulling off a trade for New York Yankees target Edward Cabrera (New York and Miami were "not close," per Jon Heyman), the insider who first broke the news, Michael Cerami, posted an article that raised the wrong kind of eyebrows.

The headline suggested that a Cubs pivot to Cody Bellinger was suddenly feasible, just as the insider crowd began to clamor for Chicago to spend commensurate with its power and post-trade prestige. There was now an Owen Caissie-shaped outfield vacancy, after all. The Cubs had shown recent interest in a Bellinger reunion (even though they'd, uh, paid handsomely to get him off the team last winter). Yes, Chicago really could pull off the Belli/Cabrera duo that seemed like it was the Yankees' plan as recently as Sunday. Joel Sherman said it. Said we were wakin' up and everything.

Within its body, though, the article was much more focused on a pivot away from Bellinger than it was on the Cubs' surprising interest. Cerami acknowledged that Chicago was looking down the avenue at the Yankees' top target, but "had a hard time believing it" himself. Instead, he viewed the Cubs' logical next move as the addition of either Alex Bregman (who they were strongly linked to last offseason, but couldn't find the money for) or Bo Bichette.

From there, Chicago could trade star defensive infielder Nico Hoerner, playing in the final season of a three-year, $35 million deal in 2026. Hoerner, linked to the Yankees earlier in the week by Jim Bowden, would certainly fit their supposed "right-handed bat obsession".

Yankees target Nico Hoerner might shake free after Cubs' Edward Cabrera trade

Of course, you could get existentially angry that the Cubs might be so inspired by their Cabrera trade that they pursue Bellinger/Bichette and then swipe the Yankees' assets in exchange for the player they don't want in Hoerner, but we've accepted long ago that the Yankees don't care to use Bellinger/Bichette money. No use in getting worked up over it again.

Hoerner is the exact kind of player Yankee fans have been salivating over during the Aaron Judge era — a special defender, a contact bat, a speed demon, and a professional hitter. 6.2 bWAR, a .297 average, and a 114 OPS+ last season with 29 steals. A versatile shortstop/second baseman. Someone who just makes sense. Someone who wouldn't require a knee-jerk Jazz Chisholm Jr. trade or anything drastic.

If the Cabrera trade inspires the Cubs to fill the outfield vacancy they created with a Bellinger splurge — via the type of contract offer that clearly hasn't come yet — it's a bad thing for the Yankees' stated position. But if it spurs a much more logical infield shakeup in Chicago, the Yankees might benefit just as much as they would've if they'd been the ones to deal for Cabrera directly.