Transactions: Indians Deal Orlando Cabrera to Giants
by Ryan on Jul 31, 2011 9:11 AM EDT
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Jordan Bastian is reporting that the Indians have traded Orlando Cabrera to the San Francisco Giants for AAA OF Thomas Neal.
Orlando Cabrera finishes his stint with the Indians with a .244/.277/.321 line, good for a 69 OPS+. That the Indians received a prospect for him is remarkable, and speaks to Cabrera's reputation that even though he should no longer be starting for major-league club, at least one GM was willing to trade an actual prospect for him. Cabrera in his prime was a very good defender at shortstop, but he's a long way from his prime. As a second baseman with the Indians, his range wasn't that great, and the Giants are going to start him at shortstop. Good luck with that. Cabrera for the season has a WAR (Wins above Replacement) of -0.1; even Miguel Tejada, who was having a poor season before the injury, had contributed a positive WAR (0.8).
With Jason Donald healthy and hitting well in Columbus (.306/.395/.445), and the Giants willing to give up a prospect, this a no-brainer from the Indians' perspective. Donald, who's been a bit forgotten because of injuries and the arrival of Kipnis and Chisenhall, gives the Indians a backup at second, short, and third that can also hit. Last season with the Indians, he posted a 93 OPS+ while playing shortstop and second base. I would even go so far to say that the Indians' 25-man roster gets better by trading Cabrera. So even if the Giants had sent a mysterious PTBNL or a 24-year-old relief pitcher in Low-A, I'd like this trade.
But the Giants sent back not only a player that might help the Indians down the road, but a player that fills a large hole in the system. Thomas Neal was given a B- grade by John Sickels before the season; Sickels at the time thought he could be a non-star regular player. Since then, though, he's had a decent (though disappointing) season in Fresno, hitting .295/.351/.409 with a poor SO/BB ratio as a 23-year-old. But even if you downgrade his upside from a starting corner outfielder to a fourth outfielder or possibly a first baseman/corner outfielder, his power potential from the right side of the plate gives the Indians something they didn't really have in the high minors.
There may be a lot of disagreement over the other trade of the day, but not for this one. The Indians improved their 25-man roster by substituting Donald for Cabrera and at the same time brought in a prospect that could help the club as soon as 2012.
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White Flag trade. It was a good run while it lasted.
by Toxicadam on Jul 30, 2011 11:08 PM EDT reply actions 10 recs
Pure Rage gives a rather even-handed assessment of the Ubaldo trade in that article.
Though I look right at home, I still feel like an exile
by Manhattan Tribe Fan on Jul 31, 2011 1:13 AM EDT up reply actions
Keith Law is an assassin
keithlaw
The Giants, tired of playing a statue (Tejada) or an automatic out (Crawford) at short, acquire Orlando Cabrera, who is both
by Toxicadam on Jul 30, 2011 11:20 PM EDT reply actions 3 recs
First of all, it would be an unbelievable fleecing if we acquired a player who could even contribute a single thing in the major leagues at any point. So there’s that.
Looking at Neal, big concerns over his huge drops in power and plate discipline. But whatever, it’s fine. Fine fine fine.
by tabler84 on Jul 30, 2011 11:25 PM EDT reply actions 3 recs
I think Neal is a lotto ticket they are going to hold onto. Not like we have a wealth of guys in the pipeline once Choo and Sizemore are gone.
Will someone explain to me why we want Ludwick again?
"sometimes the internet is hard for me." - ClemsonGirl
by world dictator on Jul 31, 2011 1:08 AM EDT up reply actions
Ludwick’s poor performance coincides quite neatly with his trade to Petco.
Though I look right at home, I still feel like an exile
by Manhattan Tribe Fan on Jul 31, 2011 1:10 AM EDT up reply actions
Making sure that you’re kidding with the RBI’s…
OCab WAS my bête noire.
by stuart dean on Jul 31, 2011 10:54 AM EDT up reply actions
I can’t believe the Giants would permit Cabrera to even touch shortstop on a regular basis. He has been so poor defensively, whether you use your eyes or any advance metric.
You know how we always say pre-season “I don’t know why we signed this guy but hopefully we can trade him at the deadline and he’ll be guaranteed a postseason birth”?
That happened exactly, except we’re buyers and 1.5 games out of first.
"I want to be playing at the end of October or the end of September -- not just at the beginning of April." —Grady
You must be blind. He is much easier to like if you’re blind, for various reasons.
Matt LaPorta is the bane of my existence.
He looks like a goblin?
"An intelligent man is sometimes forced to be drunk to spend time with his fools" -Hemingway
by notthatnoise on Aug 1, 2011 1:35 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
I think it has been a most excellent evening overall.
Again bummed about Pom and White, but excited about Ubaldo and getting rid of OCab is addition by subtraction, at least in my eyes.
Wonder if Ludwick is still a priority.
My guess is Ludwick is an Indian tomorrow.
Though I look right at home, I still feel like an exile
by Manhattan Tribe Fan on Jul 30, 2011 11:43 PM EDT up reply actions
Ludwick to the Pirates. Wonder what we do for a bat now.
"sometimes the internet is hard for me." - ClemsonGirl
by world dictator on Jul 31, 2011 4:33 PM EDT up reply actions
There’s about 600 comments on the Ubaldo post and a dozen here. That seems about right.
Trombone/creamy/soda.
by Joel D on Jul 30, 2011 11:50 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
Nothing to not like about this one. Thanks for working with Asdrubal.
by APV on Jul 31, 2011 1:15 AM EDT reply actions 2 recs
So if the Ludwick deal happens, and our new outfield is Ludwick-Brantley-Fukudome, we will have replaced 4 out of our starting 9 from opening day (both corner outfielders, plus 2nd and 3rd). Assuming that Kearns will be DFA’d either when/if we acquire Ludwick, or when Choo returns, we will have replaced 4 of the 5 outfielders that were on the team on opening day. We’ll also have replaced our backup infielder.
Quite the makeover there.
"By being the manager and just playing whoever I want." - Acta on how he would choose to split playing time between Kearns and Buck.
I’m appreciative of Orlando’s contributions to this team, which included switching positions, which is harder than is credited; being a credible placeholder until the arrival of Phelps or Kipnis, which was particularly important when the Donald went down; putting up decent numbers with the platoon advantage, with an OPS against lefties that Matt LaPorta wishes was his own; being inexpensive; winning a game here and there with a surprising hit; inciting Asdrubal’s power stroke; and not sucking too badly, leaving us with a -0.1 WAR.
This is not insignificant.
Similar in that Blake’s return to 3B left a lot of holes in the outfield.
Dissimilar in that Trot cost $3 million and put up a -2 WAR at a corner OF spot.
Despite Trot, of course, Cleveland was as good as anybody in 2007; maybe we can say that about this year’s team come October.
by YoDaddyWags on Jul 31, 2011 11:18 AM EDT up reply actions
I’m kind of with you. I never despised the man the way many around here seemed to. Yeah, he sucked, but we never expected him to not suck.
My watch is broken... it's stuck on Tribe Time
#suckitLaw
by Turkmenbashi on Jul 31, 2011 11:03 AM EDT up reply actions
Agreed, nice thought.
In the end, there was a reason he wasn’t offered a job until the Tribe offered him one. He can’t play every day any longer. I really wonder how long he’ll last as the everyday SS in SF.
Last season with the Indians, he posted a 93 OPS+ while playing third base
I thought Donald played mostly 2B last year?
by JulioBernazard on Jul 31, 2011 11:24 AM EDT reply actions
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