Baltimore a Fit For Melky Cabrera?

by

No player in the entire MLB has had a hotter start than Toronto Blue Jays LF Melky Cabrera. With an MLB leading 37 hits, Cabrera has been the catalyst in the Blue Jays offense along with Jose Bautista. He’s bounced back from an injury riddled campaign 2013 campaign which saw him miss 74 games with a season-ending ankle injury. In the offseason, Cabrera had a benign tumour removed from his spine — he had hid the fact that he was experiencing pain in his back and this was why he was never comfortable at the plate. Melky Cabrera came into the 2014 season with a clean bill of health and has finally delivered on the 2 year contract worth $14 million, that he signed after the Blue Jays rolled the dice on him.

In 24 games this season, the Melk Man has hit 5 home runs and 8 RBI to go along with his 37 hits (12 being extra base), and has a slash line of .339/.363/.550. It is obvious that Cabrera is not going to keep this up for the whole season as his previous track record doesn’t indicate that he will. However, he could prove to be worth more than the $7 million he’s earning this season, forcing the Blue Jays to consider selling high on him.

What you can expect Melky Cabrera to finish the season with is around 190 hits, 15 home runs, 75 RBI and 15 or so stolen bases with a slash line of .300/.350/.430. That kind of production is quite valuable and the Blue Jays should sell high on him now, as his value has never been higher.

The one team that I can think of that could use Melky Cabrera the most is Toronto’s division rival, the Baltimore Orioles. Currently, the Orioles are 11-11, tied for the 2nd Wild Card spot with four other teams. If they want to separate themselves from the rest of the pack, a player of Cabrera’s caliber can certainly do that.

As of now, Baltimore’s starting LF is David Lough. To sum Lough’s season up in a sentence, in the 16 games he’s played in this season, he’s batted under the Mendoza line and hasn’t provided much else. David Lough isn’t going to cut it if the Baltimore Orioles hope to win the World Series for the first time since the 1983 season.

The fact that Melky Cabrera has 45 hits to go along with 2 home runs, 15 RBI and 5 SB’s with a slash line of .298/.363/.464 in the 43 games he has played at Camden Yards only gives the Orioles another reason to trade for him. Given his previous track record at Camden Yards, I would be surprised if Baltimore doesn’t ring up Alex Anthopoulos’ phone.

The Toronto Blue Jays are a team vying for a playoff spot in the 2014 MLB season; the question is… why would they want to trade away one of their bright spots this season? The answer is simple; he can be replaced. The Blue Jays have four starting caliber outfielders, including Melky Cabrera; the others are Jose Bautista (of course), Colby Rasmus and Anthony Gose. Gose can easily make the switch to LF as he’s played 23 games in his short career there. They may not get production as good as Cabrera will give them but the return they get from the Orioles will help make this a Win-Win for both teams. What the Blue Jays should ask for Melky Cabrera is either a package of prospects, most likely a hitter and a pitcher, or a middle of the rotation starting pitcher. Everyone in the MLB knows that the Blue Jays pitching staff isn’t one of their strong points; adding a middle of the rotation starter that will bolster their rotation will immediately help them win games. The middle of the rotation arm will either take Drew Hutchinson or Dustin McGowan’s spot in the rotation, as both of the aforementioned pitchers have been inconsistent this season.

Whether it’s to the Baltimore Orioles or any other team in the MLB, expect the Melk Man, Melky Cabrera, to be traded at some point prior to the trade deadline. To whatever team trades for him, they will be reaping the reward. He has proven himself to be a productive baseball player, that is without “extra help”.