Cubs, Edward Cabrera Avoid Arbitration with $4.45M Salary Agreement

The arbitration deadline is approaching, with the Cubs having three arbitration-eligible players. Justin Steele has already reached an agreement with the team, signing a one-year deal worth $6.775 million. Javier Assad was expected to be the only other Cub who might reach a deal today, but the acquisition of Edward Cabrera on Wednesday added another player to the mix.

Less than a day after the trade became official, the Cubs and Cabrera needed to negotiate a contract to avoid an arbitration hearing. Last offseason, after trading for Kyle Tucker, the Cubs were unable to reach an agreement with him by the deadline. That situation sent fans into a brief frenzy, with Tucker ultimately signing a deal before the hearing took place. Thankfully, that drama was avoided this time, as Cabrera agreed to a contract worth $4.45 million.

The Cubs avoided arbitration with newly acquired pitcher Edward Cabrera, settling on a salary of $4.45 million, per a source.

— Jesse Rogers (@JesseRogersESPN) January 9, 2026

MLB Trade Rumors projected Cabrera to earn $3.7 million, but the final figure came in slightly above expectations. Securing Cabrera’s services for less than $5 million is far preferable to signing a starting pitcher on the open market, and it leaves additional budget flexibility to address the team’s lineup.

This statistic is unrelated to the arbitration deal, but it highlights one of the many reasons to be excited about Cabrera’s potential impact on the Cubs.

Starting pitchers with two pitch types with at least a 40% whiff rate each, 2025 (min 150 swings):

Edward Cabrera: curve 45.2%, slider 43.7%

That’s it.

— Sarah Langs (@SlangsOnSports) January 7, 2026