Cabrera shows why he was so coveted by Cubs

CHICAGO -- The Cubs have had their eyes on Edward Cabrera for a few years. He was a pitcher who looked poised to find another level as a Major League starter and one who could perhaps seize on that potential under the watch of Chicago’s pitching infrastructure.

On Monday night, Cabrera finally took the mound at Wrigley Field as the big offseason addition for the Cubs’ rotation. The North Siders got their man in a blockbuster trade with the Marlins in January, and the big right-hander showed Chicago’s fans precisely why he was so coveted in a 7-2 victory over the Angels.

“He has treated this, being a Cub, as a real new start to his career,” manager Craig Counsell said. “And a fresh start. And I think you get excited about that. I think he’s excited for this day to finally be here.”

Cabrera certainly looked it in the sixth inning, when he spun a curveball that dropped sharply and eluded the bat of Los Angeles’ Zach Neto for a strikeout to complete his outing. The 6-foot-5 pitcher finished his delivery by spinning around on the mound on his left leg, ending with a few hops and an emphatic slap of his glove.

In his Cubs debut, the 27-year-old Cabrera cruised through the Angels’ offense for six scoreless innings, walking off the hill with five strikeouts, one walk and just one hit relinquished. That lone blemish came via Nolan Schanuel, who roped a clean single to right in the fourth to snap L.A.’s 0-for-10 showing to open the game.

Cabrera looked in total control before and after that single.

“Slow heartbeat,” catcher Carson Kelly said. “I think that’s what you’re looking for in a guy like that. I just think he’s going to continue to get better. He was tremendous tonight -- had good command of everything.”

Cabrera gave Cubs fans a glimpse into why the ballclub had engaged the Marlins in trade talks even prior to this past winter. His debut was going to be especially intriguing to watch after Top 100 prospect Owen Caissie -- one of three prospects sent to Miami in the deal -- belted a walk-off homer for the Marlins on Sunday.

Cabrera’s strong first impression marked the first time since July 16, 2017 (José Quintana) that a non-rookie pitcher making his Cubs debut logged at least six scoreless frames. You have to go back to April 6, 1993, to find the last non-rookie Cubs debut featuring at least six scoreless innings with no more than one hit allowed (José Guzmán).

The righty leaned mostly on his signature changeup (26 pitches), then mixed in his four-seamer (23) and slider (18) from there. He used 11 curveballs, generating three whiffs of his 15 overall with the pitch. He also induced seven outs via grounder (including one double play).

“He had everything working,” Counsell said. “And Carson felt really comfortable with any pitch in any count. With Eddie's stuff, if we get into that mode, it’s going to be a tough night for hitters.”

The righty received ample support from Chicago’s lineup, which struck for three runs in each of the first and third innings. Kelly capped off the initial outburst off rookie Ryan Johnson with a bloop single to center that brought a pair of runs home. Ian Happ then sparked the next flurry with a solo homer in the third -- his third homer in as many games.

After the win, Cabrera was asked what he would remember most about his Cubs debut.

“For me, just the entire game,” he said via team translator Fredy Quevedo Jr. “Going out there and being able to help the team win.”

Kelly had something else stuck in his mind.

“I keep thinking about the curveball he threw to Trout,” said the catcher.

Facing Angels great Mike Trout in the first inning, Cabrera found himself in a full count after opening with a slider and firing six straight fastballs around the top of the zone. That included his fastest heater (98.1 mph) of the night. On the eighth pitch, the righty spun a curve that dodged Trout’s swing.

“Once you do that in the first inning,” Kelly said, “you set the tone.”

It was a great way to shake off any nerves that came with his debut in front of an announced crowd of 36,702 at the Friendly Confines.

“To be real, it is a big difference,” Cabrera said of pitching in Wrigley’s rowdy environment.

It never rattled him.

“He was very focused,” Counsell said. “He probably had a little bit of jitters kind of getting out there -- just normal. You should have [them]. But I just thought he was really locked in.”