Timing is everything.

Two years ago, Toronto Blue Jays general manager Alex Anthopoulos plucked Melky Cabrera from the PED clearance bin with a team-friendly contract and an opportunity to re-establish his value.

Cabrera, then 28, was seen as the cherry on top for a club with a hole in left field and an in-it-to-win-it mentality. It was a low-risk, high-reward move book-ended by a pair of blockbuster trades.

Three-hundred and twenty-four games later, Toronto's all-in roster has more losses than wins and its star players aren't getting any younger. Cabrera, now 30, is once again back on the open market and this time hoping to parlay a resurgent 2014 into the long-term deal his steroid suspension denied him two seasons ago.

Cabrera had the fifth-highest wOBA among American League outfielders last year and he wants to be paid like it.

2014 K Rate wOBA wRC+ Melky Cabrera 10.8% .354 125 MLB AVG LF 21.2% .318 103

(Courtesy: FanGraphs)

With Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion under contract for just two more years, the sense of urgency in Toronto is intensifying.

To be sure, Anthopoulos is doing his part to repair an overpaid roster that's full of holes and cheap on age. By acquiring catcher Russell Martin and third baseman Josh Donaldson, the Blue Jays have added two of the very best at their position.

But two monster moves into the offseason, and Anthopoulos has yet to even address the club's biggest weaknesses.

Donaldson and Martin are significant positional upgrades, but neither will offset the void of Cabrera, the loss of left-handed hitting Adam Lind, the perpetual black hole that is second base, and a bullpen that regressed mightily in 2014.

That's without mentioning the prospect of beginning next year with either Kevin Pillar or 21-year-old Dalton Pompey in center field, or the unreasonable expectations heaped upon Toronto's young stable of starting pitchers.

Re-signing the switch-hitting Cabrera satisfies several of those needs. His splits are equally favorable to both sides - last year he was even better against right-handers - while his presence in left would afford the club more of a gamble up the middle.

2015 Projections AVG. wOBA wRC+ Cabrera .291 .339 116 Dirks .259 .319 101 Pillar .275 .316 99 Mayberry .232 .306 92 Pompey .238 .290 81

(Courtesy: FanGraphs)

The uptick in outfield production helps soften the occasional John Mayberry-Andy Dirks start at a corner spot and allows manager John Gibbons to be more liberal in spelling Bautista's workload with the odd start at designated hitter. It also provides the Blue Jays with greater roster flexibility by limiting Gibbons' reliance on platoons.

Cabrera's high-contact approach is well suited to bat second and his ability to hit left-handed gives the lineup a more complete composition.

It's not to say Anthopoulos has no left-handed hitting options to pursue if Cabrera signs elsewhere. Nori Aoki is nice but not nearly as impressive, while Nick Markakis figures to be a solid, if unspectacular, replacement offensively.

Trade targets such as Jay Bruce and Dexter Fowler - or even right-handed slugger Justin Upton - would no doubt improve the team, but the cost to obtain them involves money and young talent.

The Blue Jays know first hand that World Series titles aren't won in November. Anthopoulos has made many big splashes the last couple offseasons, and so far all he has to show for it is a roster that's five games under .500.

Cabrera was rescued from the scrap heap two years ago to help solidify a team that appeared to be on the verge of contention. Fast-forward to now, and the Blue Jays need Cabrera more than he needs them, even if it comes at the cost of a player-friendly contract this time around.

Anthopoulos has been on the winning end of so many negotiations, this might be one worth losing.