San Francisco Giants: A Melky Cabrera Reunion?
By Marc Grandi
Ever since Pablo Sandoval caught the last out of the 2014 MLB season and collapsed due to overwhelming joy, the San Francisco Giants have been searching to fill the holes free agency could potentially create. Okay, maybe the entire organization took a few days to do what has now become commonplace: spray champagne all over teammates, coaches, and members of the media and take a nice trip down Market Street with thousands of joyful fans cheering them on.
But after all the celebrating was over, Brian Sabean, Bruce Bochy, and the rest of San Francisco’s brass got back to work, put their nose to the grindstone and started working towards another championship, because that’s just what winners do.
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I’m sure retaining the 2014 team was a priority, but those efforts were not fruitful as the fan-favorite Sandoval left the only franchise he knows for the Boston Red Sox because he wanted “a new challenge.”
The Giants’ attempt to keep the 2014 team intact took another hit when reports began to surface about starting left fielder Michael Morse; the Baltimore Orioles — among others — are looking to acquire his talents, which were on display throughout the postseason when he got a chance. San Francisco is reportedly not looking to re-sign the powerful outfielder.
That leaves the Giants with limited replacement options in left field. They could give Gregor Blanco the starting job with the newly-signed Travis Ishikawa taking care of the backup duties. Or perhaps they could look deeper into their organization and give Juan Perez the starting job he has been waiting for.
San Francisco does not seem content to be passive players in the free agent market, however, as they have been linked to many big names. In addition, the Giants have not denied the possibility of filling their hole in left field via a trade for an outfielder, such as the Atlanta’s Justin Upton or Tampa Bay’s Ben Zobrist. San Francisco’s willingness to part with prospects such as Kyle Crick and Clayton Blackburn makes this avenue unlikely.
With Nick Markakis signing with the Atlanta Braves, the options in left field are even more slim. Very few free agent outfielders would be worthwhile to overpay in free agency, because they are not enough of an upgrade over Blanco or other in-house players. However, there is one name that sticks out: Melky Cabrera.
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This may seem to be a long-shot because of the way Cabrera left San Francisco in the middle of a pennant race in 2012 (everyone remembers him being suspended 5o games by the league after testing positive for testosterone), but it is more likely than some think.
The main obstacle regarding this avenue is making sure the players that remain from the 2012 team are okay with Cabrera once again becoming part of the Giants’ clubhouse — which has continually been characterized as one of the league’s best. Would his ex-teammates welcome him back after leaving them shocked and bewildered just two seasons ago? Also, keep in mind that San Francisco went on to win the World Series in 2012, making Cabrera seem expendable.
I doubt players such as Buster Posey, Hunter Pence, and the others would hold a grudge against Cabrera; they are all professionals and understand that while Cabrera did deserve his suspension, there are also large incentives to use performance enhancing drugs. Whether or not Cabrera’s fantastic half-season in 2012 (he hit .346 with 11 home runs and 60 RBIs) was a result of the illegal substance used, he still got a nice contract out of it.
He signed a two-year contract worth $16 million with the Toronto Blue Jays in November of 2012. In his two years in Toronto (which were not bad years by any stretch of the imagination), he earned more than he earned in his six other years as a professional baseball player. Suddenly, not only is he taken care of for the rest of his life but his family too.
His infraction — in which he received a slap on the wrist as punishment — set the stage for the rest of his career. From that point on — the moment he broke the law and simultaneously broke out as a star player — he will forever be better off.
Considering all of this, is Cabrera-to-San Francisco a viable possibility? Well, it depends on a few things. First, will the Giants sign Jon Lester?
Sources: Barring late change, Lester choosing between #Cubs, #SFGiants.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) December 8, 2014
If Lester ends up in the orange and black, it is unlikely that Cabrera would end up back in the Bay Area. Lester’s contract would assuredly be too large to sign a player of Cabrera’s ability. Instead, the Giants would be forced to find under-the-radar players to fill holes both in left and at third base. General manager Brian Sabean is certainly capable of doing this too.
The campaign to bring Cabrera back to San Francisco would take another hit if the Giants shovel a large amount of money to third baseman Chase Headley. While the anonymous $65 million deal over four years is reportedly not from San Francisco, the Giants are still pursuing Headley “aggressively.”
Regardless of whether San Francisco has the funds to sign Cabrera after other free-agency moves, nothing would happen if the front office feels he would be a cancer to their clubhouse. Should the Giants attempt to bring Cabrera back? Vote in our poll below.