Let's Wait and See on Cabrera

 

Certainly, one of the heroes of the recent resurgence of the Cleveland Indians is rookie infielder Asdrubal Cabrera.  He has come up with big hits, made all the plays defensively, and has even laid down a bunt or two, much to the delight of the pro-bunting faction of Cleveland baseball fans.  Of course, now supporters of the Tribe are already figuring how Cabrera fits into next year’s squad, whether or not he will replace the newest whipping boy, Jhonny Peralta or Josh Barfield.  Let’s have everyone take a deep breath.

 

First, Cabrera has a little over 50 at bats in the major leagues.  Everyone was quick to right off Andy Marte based on 50 at bats this year, but these same people are putting Cabrera in the Hall of Fame.  It’s way too early to say that Asdrubal Cabrera will be a good everyday major leaguer next year.  He shows many signs that he will be, but he could also go 0 for his next 30 which would drop his average under the Mendoza line.  Let’s see what the rookie will do the rest of the season before annointing him as a regular for 2008.

 

Secondly, the criticism of Peralta seems to be because he is A).  Not Omar Vizquel or B).  Not Brandon Phillips.  Yes, he had a bad season last year.  However, this season he ranks 6th among all American League shortstops according to Baseball Prospectus.com’s VORP ratings, which by the way, takes defense into account.  Peralta ranks behind Derek Jeter, Carlos Guillen, Orlando Cabrera, Miguel Tejada, and Michael Young.  He has 18 HR and 63 RBI and is hitting a respectable figure around .270.  He’s not Cal Ripken Jr., but he’s not a bum either. 

 

Another reason is that I still think Josh Barfield can be a good major league second baseman.  He has struggled coming over to the AL, and I agree with Eric Wedge’s assessment that at 24 years old, Barfield has to decide what kind of player he wants to be.  He can be a doubles hitter with around a .270 average and draw some walks, he’ll be fine.  I don’t think he can be a 25 HR per year guy.  His swing gets long and he is prone to striking out when he tries to show some power.  If he can get on base more often, he can be an important part of the Tribe in the future, especially because he is a plus defender.

 

This is not to say that Cabrera should be the odd man out.  If the man acquired for Eduardo Perez (now there’s a steal) continues to play well, perhaps moving Peralta to third or trading him for a corner outfielder with some pop.  A 25 year old shortstop with some punch would definitely have some market value, by the way.  Moving Peralta to third would also upgrade the defense.  Also, let’s give kudos to Mark Shapiro for his pick up of Chris Gomez.  Gomez has been a solid hitter with a decent glove, going 10 for 25 since coming to the Indians.  He certainly has contributed to the division title drive.

 

Now, let’s play what if.  If the Tribe goes 15-14 the rest of the way, they will finish with a 91-71 record.  In order to tie them, the Tigers need to go 19-10 the balance of the season.  The magic number is now 25, and the Tribe has to play well this weekend against a White Sox team if chaos with Ozzie Guillen ranting and raving.  Then comes a 10 game road trip featuring a big four game set against the Angels.  Tomorrow will see at least two relievers being called up (Mujica and Miller) to help the bullpen, and it will officially be the beginning of the stretch drive.  Let’s hope some people in Cleveland are paying attention.

 

MW