The Red Sox have lacked a key #2 pitcher in their rotation. It was supposed to be Walker Buehler, but he's been atrocious these last two months. Now it must be time to look forward into the deadline, and what CBO Craig Breslow can get his claws into.
Many pitchers would be on the market this year, including arms like Sandy Alcantara, Carlos Estevez, Hoby Milner, Tyler Mahle, and more. But Edward Cabrera is a big piece and could be key to the Red Sox's success. He had made his major league debut in 2021, and struggled mightily out of the gate.
He posted a 5.81 ERA with a FIP over 6, which spells disaster for any pitcher at any level. But one thing is for sure, and that was his K/9, which was at 9.6 to end the year. It showed that he could be a good strikeout pitcher, but he just needed some time to develop.
In 2022, he improved, posting a 3.01 ERA with 75 strikeouts and an ERA+ of 137, which was his highest so far in his career. He had regressed a little over the past two seasons (2023 and 2024), but in both years has struck out over 100 batters each time, and his K/9 were in the 10s.
Now this year, he's dialed down a bit, but not for the reason you'd think. He's posted a 3.42 ERA, with 75 strikeouts in his 14 games, and has an ERA+ of 127 this year (10 points down from his career high). His K/9 is also at 9.5, and has lowered his walk rate to 3.8 (the lowest of his career, career high was 6.5).
He's an intriguing piece and could be a key member of the Red Sox rotation. He's an Andrew Bailey project, because he never uses his fastball (14%). He's a secondary-pitch pitcher who will emphasize his changeup along with his sinker, curveball, and his slider. He uses the first three pitches both over 20%, which Bailey loves in his pitchers.
Cabrera, especially with the help of Bailey, would be an amazing fit for the Red Sox that could work out. Plus, he's entering his second year of arbitration, which helps Breslow and the organization with the way things have been run these past 6 years.