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Asdrubal Cabrera

Indians Open To Trading Cabrera, Choo

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The Indians have made other teams aware of their willingness to trade shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera and outfielder Shin-Soo Choo, Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com reports. Cleveland seeks front-line pitching in return for Cabrera and Choo, according to Knobler.

The Indians could retain Choo and Cabrera if no team meets their asking price, but they’re aware that it’ll be difficult to unseat the Tigers atop the AL Central in 2013. Cabrera, 27, posted a .270/.338/.423 batting line with 16 home runs in 2012. He'll earn $6.5MM in 2013 and $10MM in 2014 before hitting free agency two years from now. The Diamondbacks and Red Sox appear to have some interest in trading for Cabrera.

Choo, 30, will be arbitration eligible this offseason and he'll hit free agency a year from now. He projects to earn approximately $7.9MM in 2013 after posting a .283/.373/.441 batting line in 686 plate appearances this past season. The Red Sox, Yankees, Rangers and Mariners are among the teams that could consider trading for outfielders this winter.

Cafardo’s Latest: Blockbuster, Cabrera, Pavano, Grilli

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In his Sunday Notes column, Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe says Miguel Cabrera was a worthy MVP winner even if the data supported Mike Trout. Here are Cafardo's rumors…

  • Although criticism is warranted, the Blue Jays–Marlins blockbuster was a legitimate baseball trade because Miami received plenty of young, high-end talent in return.
  • Diamondbacks GM Kevin Towers was never really in the hunt for Jose Reyes, and he has yet to be overwhelmed with an offer for Justin Upton.
  • The Red Sox are more likely to deal Jarrod Saltalamacchia than Ryan Lavarnway in the wake of the David Ross signing, but only if they get a good offer.
  • Both the Red Sox and Diamondbacks are interested in Asdrubal Cabrera of the Indians while Boston also has some interest in Stephen Drew.
  • Carl Pavano was given a clean bill of health in September after missing most of the season with a shoulder problem. His agent Dave Pepe has received a few preliminary calls, and Pavano could sign a minor league deal.
  • Most executives love Dan Haren but would not be comfortable offering more than two years given concerns about his back. Most prefer a one-year deal with an option.
  • Eight teams, including the Red Sox, have interest in right-hander Jason Grilli according to his agent Gary Sheffield. They have three offers at the moment but are not in a hurry to sign.
  • The Indians are looking at Kevin Youkilis at first base while the Phillies and Dodgers like him at third. He's a back-burner option for Los Angeles and although Towers made a call, the Diamondbacks likely won't be involved.

Central Notes: Matsui, Astros, Reds, Indians, Victorino

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News and notes out of the Central divisions..

  • The Astros, who will join the AL West in 2013, have had internal discussions about Hideki Matsui, General Manager Jeff Luhnow told Daily Sports (Japanese link, passed along by Patrick Newman of NPB Tracker on Twitter).  Matsui signed a minor league deal with the Rays in April and was later DFA'd and released over the summer.
  • Free agent Shane Victorino is on the radar for the Reds and Indians, tweets ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick.  The Rangers and Red Sox are also among the clubs looking into Victorino as they look to improve their outfield situation.
  • Not surprisingly, the Indians have been targeted young starters as they begin the process of taking offers for Asdrubal Cabrera and others, tweets Buster Olney of ESPN.com.  It has been speculated that Cleveland could also dangle Shin-Soo Choo, Chris Perez, Justin Masterson, and possibly Carlos Santana.
  • Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (via Twitter) notes that the Reds are looking into two relievers coming off of Tommy John surgery in Joakim Soria and Ryan Madson.  Soria will be out until May while Madson should be set to open the season.

AL Central Links: Willingham, Butler, Tigers, Cabrera

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Here's the latest from the home of the American League champion Tigers….

  • The Twins might not receive much more than a No. 4 starter in exchange for Josh Willingham, an AL executive tells Phil Mackey of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities Radio.  "There's no doubt Josh has a very good contract, but I really doubt a team would trade a viable starting pitcher for a guy with a strong bat but who is limited defensively," the executive said.  "It's a lot easier to find a left-field or DH-type than to trade a good starting pitcher for one and then have to backfill the rotation spot."  The 33-year-old Willingham is owed $14MM through 2014 and posted an .890 OPS last season, but another AL executive says Denard Span is a better trade chip for Minnesota.
  • The Orioles have asked the Twins and Royals about Willingham and designated hitter Billy Butler, reports MLB.com's Paul Hagen.  Both the Twins and Royals are desperate for pitching and while the O's have some good young arms, I don't think Baltimore has the pitching depth to spare in either the majors or minors.
  • The Tigers want to keep backup catcher Gerald Laird but he will probably leave for a team that will give him more playing time, tweets Danny Knobler of CBS Sports.
  • The Tigers are generally active early in the offseason, though FOX Sports' Jon Paul Morosi (Twitter link) thinks this won't be the case this winter as the club's plans were pushed back by their World Series appearance.
  • Jeff Gordon of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch sees Indians shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera as a good trade target for the Cardinals, and he suggests a few young Cards prospects who could go to Cleveland in exchange for the All-Star.

Choo, Masterson, Perez, Cabrera Drawing Calls

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The Indians are already drawing trade calls on Shin-Soo Choo, Justin Masterson, Chris Perez, and Asdrubal Cabrera according to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com. GM Chris Antonetti acknowledged that they will listen to offers for those four and others.

"I'm not looking to move those guys,'' said the GM. "But we have to be open-minded.''

The 30-year-old Choo will be a free agent after next season, but he needs to play for his new team all season for them to be eligible to receive draft pick compensation next winter. Heyman speculates that outfield-needy teams like the Yankees, Pirates, Red Sox, Tigers, and Phillies could be in the mix. The 26-year-old Cabrera should be a hot commodity given the dearth of quality free agent middle infielders.

Masterson, 27, figures to draw a ton of interest as a workhorse starter who is one year removed from a 3.21 ERA in over 210 innings. It's been speculated that his former team, the Red Sox, could have interest in bringing him back. The 27-year-old Perez might have talked his way out of Cleveland with some late-season comments. Mark Polishuk analyzed his trade stock in September.

Matt Swartz projects Choo to earn $7.9MM through arbitration next season before becoming a free agent. Masterson and Perez are under team control through 2014 and project to earn $5.7MM and $7.2MM through arbitration next season, respectively. Cabrera is under contract through 2014 and will earn $6.5MM next year and $10MM the year after.

Quick Hits: Indians, Red Sox, Dylan Bundy

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On this day in 1949, Cleveland owner Bill Veeck and a group of players held a funeral service to bury the 1948 pennant in centerfield. The Indians were mathematically eliminated from the American League pennant race 24 hours prior on their off-day. Here's the latest news and stories making headlines from around the league…

  • Finding a reliable backup for Asdrubal Cabrera at shortstop should be a priority for the Indians this offseason, opines Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. Cleveland has relied on the services of Brent Lillibridge and Jason Donald for the majority of the season but mixed results and general inconsistency have left manager Manny Acta in search of another option. "We really need somebody, when we give Cabby a day off or he goes down, who can step in help us out. It's been an issue… It's been an issue."
  • Pawtucket pitching coach Rich Sauveur's big league aspirations may soon come to fruition with Boston's coaching staff facing uncertainty this offseason, writes Brian MacPherson of The Pawtucket Journal. "I want to be a pitching coach in the big leagues," Sauveur said. "I've wanted that ever since 2000 when I retired." The former Major League left-hander will spend the final two weeks of the season with the Red Sox as a reward for his strong contributions to the PawSox.
  • Orioles top prospect Dylan Bundy's Major League debut against the Red Sox on Sunday didn't come without a hitch, reports MASNsports.com's Roch Kubatko. The 19-year-old right-hander couldn't find his glove when the call came to the bullpen requesting his services on the mound. "Tommy Hunter answered the phone and told me I was going in. I said, 'What?' and I couldn't find my glove. Took me about a minute to find it," Bundy said. "He told me to get going, so I was like, OK, its happening, and I got loose as quick as I could."

Rosenthal On Farrell, Indians, Nationals

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The Blue Jays shouldn’t part with manager John Farrell unless they are confident they can hire a comparable replacement and make the Red Sox pay dearly for their former pitching coach, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports writes. The Blue Jays could start by asking for Clay Buchholz again, Rosenthal suggests. Here’s more from around MLB, starting with Farrell…

  • People who know Farrell find it difficult to believe he’d try to force his way out of Toronto, Rosenthal reports. The Blue Jays appear to value Farrell and don’t want to see him leave.
  • Most MLB teams wanted to develop Jurickson Profar as a pitcher when he was an amateur player, Rosenthal reports. The Rangers built a relationship with Profar, who wanted to play shortstop.
  • Scouts following the Indians like the team’s up-the-middle talent, but say the body language of manager Manny Acta suggests he’s resigned to losing. The Indians are expected to consider trade offers for Justin Masterson, Shin-Soo Choo and Chris Perez this offseason and rival teams wonder if they’d listen to offers for Asdrubal Cabrera.
  • Indians officials are “livid” with Perez for his comments about the team’s ownership and top baseball executives, Rosenthal writes. Perez questioned the Indians’ decision making and spending last week in an interview with Jon Paul Morosi. Some executives viewed those remarks as an attempt to get traded, Rosenthal reports.
  • One Orioles person points out that Andy MacPhail traded for many of the Orioles’ key players in a series of successful deals. MacPhail dealt for players such as J.J. Hardy, Pedro Strop, Chris Davis, Tommy Hunter, Robert Andino and Adam Jones before stepping down following the 2011 season.
  • Though the Nationals would like to retain Adam LaRoche, they can rely on internal options if the first baseman’s asking price reaches the three-year, $33-36MM range. Similarly, the Nationals might decide not to pursue Michael Bourn despite the long-standing expectation that they will offer him a competitive free agent contract.
  • The Brewers will need to sign a starting pitcher and fix their bullpen this coming offseason, Rosenthal writes.

Indians Notes: Cabrera, Choo, Lindor

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While the Indians would like to upgrade their rotation, they aren't interested in rental players, ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick reports (on Twitter). Here’s the latest on the Indians, who have a 50-49 record after defeating the Tigers last night…

  • Asdrubal Cabrera would appeal to a team like Oakland, but the Indians would have to be blown away to move their shortstop, Crasnick reports (on Twitter). 
  • The Indians are very likely to hold onto Shin-Soo Choo now that they’re just 3.5 games out of a playoff berth, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com writes (Twitter link).
  • Rangers GM Jon Daniels should trade for an impact hitter and a starting pitcher, Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports writes. The Rangers had a scout watching yesterday’s Tigers-Indians game, so Morosi suggests Choo could be an option for Texas. The Rangers also scouted Justin Upton, but it sounds as though Arizona won’t move the outfielder before the offseason.
  • Though no players are off limits, a trade "would need to be exceptional" for the Indians to part with top prospect Francisco Lindor, MLB.com's Jordan Bastian reports (on Twitter).

Indians Extend Asdrubal Cabrera

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The Indians announced that they have officially signed shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera to a two-year extension for 2013-14. The deal is worth $16.5MM and will delay Cabrera's free agency by one year.

Cabrera, who is represented by Octagon, avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year deal worth $4.55MM this offseason. This new contract buys out his final year of arbitration eligibility as well as one free agent season. He'll earn $6.5MM in 2013 and $10MM in 2014, MLB.com's Jordan Bastian tweets.

The 26-year-old enjoyed a breakout season in 2011, batting .273/.332/.460 with a career-high 25 home runs and 17 stolen bases. Cabrera has made several notable highlight defensive plays over the past few seasons, but Ultimate Zone Rating hasn't been a fan of his defense at shortstop, pegging him at -12.6 runs below average per 150 games in 2011.

When examining Cabrera's extension candidacy this offseason (prior to his arbitration settlement), MLBTR's Tim Dierkes suggested a four-year, $27MM would make sense for both sides. If the extension goes through at $16.5MM, Tim's $6.75MM average annual value would be close, though for one fewer year; the Indians would control Cabrera for three years at $21.05MM — slightly more than $7MM per season.

Steve Adams and Ben Nicholson-Smith contributed to this post. Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com first reported the agreement and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (Twitter link) reported the deal's value and that the sides were nearing an agreement.

Indians Near Extension With Asdrubal Cabrera

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The Indians and Asdrubal Cabrera are on the verge of a two-year extension worth $16.5MM that would cover the 2013-2014 seasons, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (Twitter link).

Cabrera, who is represented by Octagon, avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year deal worth $4.55MM this offseason. This new contract would buy out his final year of arbitration eligibility as well as one free agent season.

The 26-year-old enjoyed a breakout season in 2011, batting .273/.332/.460 with a career-high 25 home runs and 17 stolen bases. Cabrera has made several notable highlight defensive plays over the past few seasons, but Ultimate Zone Rating hasn't been a fan of his defense at shortstop, pegging him at -12.6 runs below average per 150 games in 2011.

When examining Cabrera's extension candidacy this offseason (prior to his arbitration settlement), MLBTR's Tim Dierkes suggested a four-year, $27MM would make sense for both sides. If the extension goes through at $16.5MM, Tim's $6.75MM average annual value would be close, though for one fewer year; the Indians would control Cabrera for three years at $21.05MM — slightly more than $7MM per season.

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