Email a copy of 'Free Agent Stock Watch: Asdrubal Cabrera' to a friend
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By Jeff Todd | at
Email a copy of 'Free Agent Stock Watch: Asdrubal Cabrera' to a friend
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Joe Valenti
This SS free agent market is very interesting. Hanley aside, there is no clear top candidate. Hardy is probably the best in the short term but Cabrera could be a longterm fit. Lowrie has been very consistent and provides good contact, which IMO a lot of lineups lack given the new emphasis on power and patience.
Personally, I would be happy with my Mets signing any of these three, and saving their prospects for an OF bat, opposed to taking a risk on an oft injured Tulo
LazerTown
Hardy has a better shot of sticking at ss long term though.
Joe Valenti
Haha. I like this comment. I’m going to say yes and no. Hardy obviously has the farthest to fall to be considered “no longer a short stop” in terms of talent. He also is closest to that fall in terms of age. The age to defensive talent ratio could potentially make it a wash
josebatista89
Tulo is a good player but am not willing to give up de Grom, Wheeler.
Joe Valenti
Exactly. I think a corner outfielder would be a better investment. The Mets need both. Might as well get a serviceable short stop and get a guy you can count on being in the lineup everyday for your prospects
Sufferfortribe
Mr. Todd, you should never use “Asdrubal Cabrera” and the phrase “superior bat” in the same sentence.
Jeff Todd
Since 2008, he has the fifth best wRC+ among all shortstops in baseball. 1) HanRam, 2) Tulo, 3) Reyes, 4) Peralta, 5) Cabrera, 6) Jeter, 7) Lowrie, 8) Desmond …
That’s a 105 mark, so not exactly lighting the league on fire, but that’s pretty darned valuable for a shortstop. Of course, he’s the only one from that group with negative defensive value (by fWAR) over that stretch, but his bat is strong overall for the position.
Danny Phillips
If the Nats are interested in resigning him to continue at 2B I’d be for it. If he is willing. Let LaRoche walk and move Zimmerman to 1B.
Jeff Todd
It wouldn’t shock me, though I’d be somewhat surprised to see them beat the market for him if it picks up steam. Guess he’d provide some Desmond insurance, but I doubt they see him as a SS.
I could imagine the Nats trying to deal for a 3B or 2B, or adding a veteran on a short-term deal. Would have to think they’d be especially interested in a left-handed bat. Guess I could see Headley as a bounce-back guy, though given the contention window he may be too risky to rely on.
Contracts I’d love to have if I were DC: Frazier, Zobrist, Utley. Not that I see any of those happening, but all are at least hypothetically possible trade targets (if not for the Nats, in the case of Utley), and I could imagine Rizzo pouncing if an opportunity arose.
Drazthegr8
He’s been great on the Nats, but I see him getting ridiculous Jhonny Peralta like money from some dumb team. If the Nats could get him for 4 years $32MM, I’d pounce, but wouldn’t be surprised to see him get $13-15MM/yr.
Colin Chartier
would fit nicely for the A’s and 2nd but again probably won’t happen because he wants to play shortstop and Oakland doesn’t have a whole heck of a lot of cash
Bertin Lefkovic
As bad as Stephen Drew has been this season, if I could get him cheaply enough, I would prefer to take my chances on him for one season in a platoon with Brendan Ryan, than spend a lot of money on anybody else who is going to be available. I would also like to bring back Chase Headley and Brandon McCarthy.
East Coast Bias
And finish out of the playoffs again?
Bertin Lefkovic
With an albatross like A-Rod on the roster and no sense of whether the Yankees are on a budget or not, shortstop is not necessarily the position where the Yankees are likely to get the most bang for their buck.
They already have Ryan under contract for another year. If there is no market for Drew and the Yankees could get him as well for the same money that they are paying Ryan, I think that the odds are better that one of them could outperform their contract and provide more offensive and defensive value than either Cabrera or Hardy at $8MM-$10MM per year. Overpaying Han-Ram or trading for Jose Reyes or Troy Tulowitzki is just asking for trouble.
They could throw a lot of money at their next shortstop and still finish out of the playoffs again. I don’t know if the Yankees plan on bringing McCarthy and Kuroda back next year and/or what condition CC or Nova will be in next year and/or what they think they will get out of Shaun Greene, David Phelps, and Michael Pineda, but if I am going to spend a lot of money anywhere, it would be on signing Jon Lester or trading for Cole Hamels.
DarthMurph
What would be the point in platooning two players who aren’t really platoon types to begin with since neither one has drastic splits and can’t hit anyway?
Bertin Lefkovic
It would be a good starting point in dividing starts between the two of them with the hope that one overperforms expectations to the point that they earn more playing time against same-handed pitchers. If neither hit well enough to start, the Yankees could keep both of them on the bench and try Prado at shortstop and Refsnyder at 2B. My point is that I am only interested in bringing back Drew if there is no market for him and the Yankees can get him for roughly the same amount that they are paying Ryan next year.
Adderlyn
Why? Drew just can’t hit, he’s even worse than Mario Mendoza, i really like Brendan Ryan’s defense but the guy can’t hit, but without doubts if have to choose i’ll pick Ryan, i don’t know why bring Drew back, i hope the Yankees sign a good shortstop.
DarthMurph
I think Cabrera signs for 3/24. The infielder market is flooded and I don’t see a team giving him an eight figure AAV.
petcopadre
Padres need to check into this guy.
josebatista89
I hope the Mets go hard after him.
LanceCT
thought he might be a good pickup for the Yankees for ss/2b: checked his stats at Yankee Stadium: Baseball Reference says he only 1 game there in his career???? Can anyone explain?
DippityDoo
I think he’ll get a 3/30, just working my way back from what Peralta got last year.
dubinsky
or less