The trade rumors surrounding the Yankees have shifted from idle speculation to legitimate smoke, and for the first time this winter, it feels like General Manager Brian Cashman is preparing to make a move that will genuinely sting the farm system.
We know the Bombers are hunting for rotation upgrades, and recent reports confirm that the Yankees open trade discussions for hard-throwing Edward Cabrera, engaging the Miami Marlins on a deal that would bring arguably the most electric changeup in baseball to the Bronx. However, trades of this magnitude are never free, and the name surfacing as the potential cost is enough to give prospect huggers pause: Ben Hess.
According to The Athletic, while discussions have taken place, no deal was imminent as of the weekend, suggesting the two sides are likely haggling over the precise valuation of the players involved.
That stalemate almost certainly revolves around Hess, the Yankees’ first-round pick who represents the kind of high-octane arm that rebuilding teams like the Marlins drool over. If this deal gets done, Hess won’t just be a piece of the package; he will be the headline act leaving New York.
Why Ben Hess Is the Golden Ticket for Miami
To understand why the Marlins would demand Hess, you just have to watch him throw a bullpen session. Standing at a massive 6-foot-5, Hess is the prototype of the modern power pitcher, armed with a fastball that sits comfortably in the mid-to-high 90s and has touched triple digits.
His “stuff” is loud, violent, and exactly the type of clay that pitching development factories love to mold. When the Yankees drafted him in the first round, they weren’t betting on a safe, high-floor command guy; they were betting on a ceiling that looks a lot like a future frontline ace.
The algorithm hides the best New York Yankees news; make sure you pin Empire Sports Media on Google News so you don’t miss a beat.
For Miami, a franchise that essentially operates as a pitching incubator, Hess is the perfect target. He fits their timeline and offers a higher upside than almost any other arm in the Yankees’ system not named Elmer Rodriguez. His curveball is a legitimate out-pitch, and his slider has flashed plus potential, giving him a starter’s toolkit that is nearly MLB-ready. If you are going to trade a controllable arm like Edward Cabrera, you need to get back someone who can replace him—and eventually surpass him—and Hess checks every single one of those boxes.
The Painful Reality of “Win-Now” Baseball
Trading Hess would be a calculated gamble for Cashman, essentially sacrificing tomorrow’s potential for today’s production. While Hess has all the tools to be a star, he is still a prospect with an injury history dating back to his college days at Alabama, whereas Cabrera is a big-league arm ready to contribute to a World Series push immediately. It is the classic “bird in the hand” scenario.
Yankee fans love to dream on prospects, but flags fly forever, and you can’t hoist a trophy with potential. If Hess is indeed the cost to stabilize the rotation with Cabrera, it is a price Cashman has to be willing to pay.
Losing a first-round talent before he ever throws a pitch in pinstripes is a bitter pill to swallow, but if Cabrera is striking out the side in October, nobody is going to remember the name of the prospect who went the other way. This is the difference between hoarding talent and building a champion; sometimes, you have to push your best chips into the middle of the table.
More about: New York Yankees
