The case for Melky Cabrera

[sportsfan8703]

Melky Cabrera is due $15 million in 2017, then he's a FA.  He's never struck out more than 94 times in a season.  32. Switch Hitter.  Last year was 296/345/455 and worth 2.6 WAR.  Like most players, his power would play up at OPACY.  He hit LHP better than RHP last year.  He can bat anywhere in the lineup.  

It's a short commitment to a solid player that shouldn't cost much.  If CWS are rebuilding then they should be pretty eager to get rid of the 1/15 million remaining on his deal.  Gotta love that he only had 69 K's in 646 PA's last year.  Considering cost/risk, I think he's the best option out there to replace Trumbo.  

1. Melky

2. Saunders

3. Granderson

Plus it's not crazy to think that if Melky had a big year that we could get a comp pick for him after the season.  He'd be entering his age 33 season in FA next offseason.  Not likely but not crazy.  In a perfect world, we'd give up not our top prospects, have him produce 2-3 WAR and then recoup any value we traded away in the form of a draft pick.  He's not a bad little ballplayer.  This is the type of player we should be adding.  

HIs BBref numbers

http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/cabreme01.shtml

[Sir_Loin]

Except next year it wont be a comp pick. It will be a 3-5th round pick. 

[sportsfan8703]

2 minutes ago, Sir_Loin said:

Except next year it wont be a comp pick. It will be a 3-5th round pick. 

The comp pick was just the dream scenario.  Hearing any news old friend?

[El Gordo]

His defense isn't very good and he has played very little in LF.

My preferences:

Fowler, Granderson, Pagon, Saunders, Bourne

 

[mdbdotcom]

6 hours ago, El Gordo said:

His defense isn't very good and he has played very little in LF.

My preferences:

Fowler, Granderson, Pagon, Saunders, Bourne

 

I don't think Jason Bourne is available.

[25 Nuggets]

1 hour ago, mdbdotcom said:

I don't think Jason Bourne is available.

That's definitely not a guy Jose Bautista would want to get in a fight with.

[pastorfan]

10 hours ago, El Gordo said:

His defense isn't very good and he has played very little in LF.

My preferences:

Fowler, Granderson, Pagon, Saunders, Bourne

 

I'd like to see us take a chance with Revere and let him lead off. He has good range in the OF, just a weak arm. He can also play CF if Adam gets injured. 

[sportsfan8703]

12 hours ago, El Gordo said:

His defense isn't very good and he has played very little in LF.

My preferences:

Fowler, Granderson, Pagon, Saunders, Bourne

 

Those are the other options I have.  I don't think getting a RF, excludes us from bringing in Bourn or Revere as the 5th OF.  My preference is Bourn.  But looking at the options in terms of cost,

Fowler- Just isn't happening.  I hate to say it.  He's the best fit though.  

Saunders- would probably take 3/36.  IF healthy I'd pay him that.  

Pagan-  NL player coming to the AL east.  35.  Losses value playing COF.  Seems like an overpay.

Bourn- great fit as a 4th/5th OF.  Hope we can get it done on a short term deal.  Like that guy.  

So that leaves Granderson and Melky.  They both make 1/15 next year.  They both are going to cost assets in a trade.  I just think Melky will cost less and the type of hitter this team needs to diversify the liineup.  Granderson would be more of the same.  HR's and K's.  Melky would be the leadoff guy we need.  Nobody we're looking at is good on defense so that goes out the window.  

Get on board the Melky train.  Look at the low k's.  He's the only option that's different from our team that is out there.  

http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/cabreme01.shtml

 

[wildbillhiccup]

This thread could just have easily been titled "The Case for Stale, Two Week Old Bread". Needless to say I'm of the opinion that the "Melk" man's talent has, shall we say, soured. 

[Number5]

6 minutes ago, sportsfan8703 said:

Those are the other options I have.  I don't think getting a RF, excludes us from bringing in Bourn or Revere as the 5th OF.  My preference is Bourn.  But looking at the options in terms of cost,

Fowler- Just isn't happening.  I hate to say it.  He's the best fit though.  

Saunders- would probably take 3/36.  IF healthy I'd pay him that.  

Pagan-  NL player coming to the AL east.  35.  Losses value playing COF.  Seems like an overpay.

Bourn- great fit as a 4th/5th OF.  Hope we can get it done on a short term deal.  Like that guy.  

So that leaves Granderson and Melky.  They both make 1/15 next year.  They both are going to cost assets in a trade.  I just think Melky will cost less and the type of hitter this team needs to diversify the liineup.  Granderson would be more of the same.  HR's and K's.  Melky would be the leadoff guy we need.  Nobody we're looking at is good on defense so that goes out the window.  

Get on board the Melky train.  Look at the low k's.  He's the only option that's different from our team that is out there.  

http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/cabreme01.shtml

 

I'm not sure why your comment about Pagan doen't apply to Granderson and Melky.  They both will have a much higher salary than Pagan, will cost players in trade, and are just as old.

[sportsfan8703]

5 minutes ago, Number5 said:

I'm not sure why your comment about Pagan doen't apply to Granderson and Melky.  They both will have a much higher salary than Pagan, will cost players in trade, and are just as old.

Pagan has too much of an injury past and is likely going to go for the best deal out there.  So 3/24ish.  I'd rather go with Granderson or Melky.  Melky being the better fit and should be the cheapest to acquire.  

[Tryptamine]

3 hours ago, wildbillhiccup said:

This thread could just have easily been titled "The Case for Stale, Two Week Old Bread". Needless to say I'm of the opinion that the "Melk" man's talent has, shall we say, soured. 

He put up an .800 OPS last year, the man can still hit. The problem is the more you play him in the field the more negative value he's going to accumulate because there's simply nowhere he can be even average defensively at this point.

[Moondoggie]

Melky still has a good bat, but he's strictly a left fielder at this point in his career -- and not a very good one at that. So he doesn't help you in right field and he's no better than Kim in left (probably not as good because Kim has better legs than the slowing Melky). He would only make sense as a DH, really, for a team wanting to upgrade outfield defense. I'd rather sign Ben Revere to play left, move Kim to DH and find a decent right fielder somewhere.

[OriolesMagic83]

28 minutes ago, Tryptamine said:

He put up an .800 OPS last year, the man can still hit. The problem is the more you play him in the field the more negative value he's going to accumulate because there's simply nowhere he can be even average defensively at this point.

He was 1st for LF, 5th in range factor for LF, 3rd in fielding percentage for LF, 3rd in putouts for LF.  I'm not saying he's a gold glove candidate, but he's got to be a step up from the other outfielders the O's are looking at like Bruce and Granderson.  Just wondering what makes him so far below average defensively.  Are we talking a little below average or Bruce/Trumbo bad?  I'm not sure I can stomach 4 years of Trumbo stumbling around the outfield.

[Babypowder]

25 minutes ago, OriolesMagic83 said:

He was 1st for LF, 5th in range factor for LF, 3rd in fielding percentage for LF, 3rd in putouts for LF.  I'm not saying he's a gold glove candidate, but he's got to be a step up from the other outfielders the O's are looking at like Bruce and Granderson.  Just wondering what makes him so far below average defensively.  Are we talking a little below average or Bruce/Trumbo bad?  I'm not sure I can stomach 4 years of Trumbo stumbling around the outfield.

Fangraphs has him at -5 DRS and -7.5 UZR/150, which is bad. However, Trumbo was at -11 and -12 respectively in significantly less innings. 

So it would appear he's bad but not quite Trumbo bad.