Why isn't Chicago White Sox's Cabrera drawing interest?

Chicago White Sox's Melky Cabrera connects for a two-run double during the fifth inning of an baseball game against the Minnesota Twins, Saturday, July 30, 2016, in Minneapolis.

Joe Lewnard/jlewnard@dailyherald.comMelky Cabrera left, waits to for Lucas Giolito to have his photo taken on picture day during Chicago White Sox Spring training camp at Camelback Ranch in Glendale, Arizona Thursday.

Joe Lewnard/jlewnard@dailyherald.comMelky Cabrera has his photo taken during picture day at Chicago White Sox Spring training camp at Camelback Ranch in Glendale, Arizona.

Chris Sale and Adam Eaton are gone, Jose Quintana and David Robertson could be dealt before you reach the end of this article, and Todd Frazier and Jose Abreu frequently are mentioned in trade rumors.

Veteran players are an endangered species on the rebuilding Chicago White Sox, but there is seemingly little or no interest in left fielder Melky Cabrera.

Considering he had a solid year with the Sox in 2016 and is a lifetime .286 hitter over 12 major-league seasons, the lack of buzz surrounding the 32-year-old Cabrera is a bit puzzling.

Are teams in need of a proven bat still wary of Cabrera's 50-game suspension for a positive performance-enhancing drug test in 2012?

Are potentially interested teams looking for more power from the corner outfield spot?

Better defense perhaps?

It's difficult to say, but Cabrera led the White Sox with a .296 batting average last season and was third with 14 home runs and 86 RBI.

He also tied for third in the American League with 42 doubles, the most by a White Sox hitter since Magglio Ordonez's 46 in 2003.

"We all know what Melky can do," Sox manager Rick Renteria said.

Unless there is a sudden change in outside interest, Cabrera is heading into his third straight season as the White Sox's starting left field.

He's also in the final season of a three-year, $42 million contract, with $15 million due in 2017.

That's a hefty price for an outfielder who is not well above average in any phase of the game, but Cabrera's cost will be significantly lower around the July 31 nonwaiver deadline, so that could be his moving date.

Looking ahead, who replaces Cabrera in left field later this season or in 2018?

The list of potential candidates is less than stellar, with Cody Asche currently sitting behind Cabrera on the Sox's depth chart.

Signed to a minor-league contract on Jan. 6, Asche spent the last four seasons with the Phillies.

Splitting time between third base and left field, the left-handed batter posted a .240/.298/.385 hitting line with 31 home runs and 125 RBI in 371 games with Philadelphia. Asche also struck out 310 times in 1,287 plate appearances.

Unless the White Sox acquire a young outfielder in a trade for Quintana or possibly Frazier, Abreu or Robertson, they'll have to wait for current prospects like Luis Alexander Basabe, Alex Call, Jameson Fisher and Micker Adolfo.

None of that quartet is expected to be major-league ready until 2018 at the earliest.

Drafted on the first round in 2012, Courtney Hawkins' initial ETA was expected to be at some point this season.

That's not going to happen, and Hawkins looks like a bust.

Reassigned to minor-league camp last week in the first round of roster cuts, Hawkins has a .227/.290/.409 slash line with 596 strikeouts in 1,974 plate appearances over five minor-league seasons.