Transactions: Cabrera Signed for 2011

Signed SS Asdrubal Cabrera to a 1-Year, $2.025M Contract

News Link.

This represents a big raise for Cabrera ($444K in 2010), but he'll have to wait at least another year to get that multi-year deal. After a breakout 2009 season, it looked like he was set to be the next Indian locked up his arbitration years, but he came into the 2010 season in bad shape, both aspects of his game regressed, and he missed a large chunk of the season with a broken arm. But the Indians don't really have anyone behind him on the depth chart, so he's pretty much assured of another full season's worth of at-bats.

Cabrera's signing means that the Indians have three arbitration-eligible players left to sign. Chris and Rafael Perez should likewise sign one-year deals, leaving Shin-Soo Choo as the only player the Indians will try to sign to a multi-year deal. I still think a three-year deal is the most likeliest, as it would not delay Choo from free agency, a key goal for a Scott Boras client.

Outighted 1B/OF Jordan Brown to Columbus (AAA); Invited him to Spring Training

Brown somehow escaped the notice of the other 29 teams, so he'll be back with the club in Spring Training. But his goals will be quite a bit lower than before the Kearns signing; he'll be fighting for playing time with the Clippers instead of trying to make the big-league club.