Cubs avoid arbitration with Edward Cabrera, Justin Steele and Javier Assad

The next step for the Cubs, after acquiring right-hander Edward Cabrera from the Marlins on Wednesday in the team’s biggest move of the offseason, was to decide his 2026 salary.

Despite the quick turnaround, they did so on Thursday, settling at $4.45 million to avoid arbitration, a source confirmed.

The Cubs avoided arbitration with all of their eligible players on Thursday, the deadline to exchange salary figures. Along with Cabrera, they agreed to terms with left-hander Justin Steele ($6.775 million ) and right-hander Javier Assad ($1.8 million).

Cabrera, 27, is coming off a banner year with the Marlins. Though he landed on the IL for much of September with an elbow injury, Cabrera made a career-high 26 starts (137 ⅔ innings). He improved his command to cut his walk rate from 12% in 2024 to 8.3% last year. And his 3.35 ERA was his best since 2022, when he only made 14 starts.

Cabrera was arbitration eligible this year for the first time. His 2026 salary represents a considerable raise from the previous year ($1.95 million).

Cabrera is in position to elevate the Cubs’ rotation, especially if he can stay healthy. And he adds a unique profile to the group.

An 94-mph changeup is Cabrera’s most-used pitch. And he was in the 89th percentile for fastball velocity last season (96.9 mph), according to Statcast, making him the Cubs’ hardest-throwing starter. In fact, Cabrera's changeup sits at a higher velocity than most of his fellow Cubs starters’ fastballs, with right-hander Cade Horton's 95.7 mph four-seamer and 95.1 mph sinker serving as the exceptions.

To complete the trade, the Cubs sent three players to the Marlins: outfielder Owen Caissie, the Cubs' No. 1 prospect, middle infield prospect Cristian Hernandez (No. 11), and minor-league infielder Edgardo De Leon.

Steele made just four starts last year (4.76 ERA) before undergoing season-ending elbow surgery. He is expected to return early in the season this year.

Assad also was sidelined by injury for much of 2025, twice straining his left oblique. He made his season debut in August and posted a 3.65 ERA in eight games.