Asdrubal Cabrera
by bigboy1234 on May 21, 2007 5:23 PM EDT
18 comments
He has been very very impressive as a 21 year old in AA this year.
With a stat line of 5 HR, 19/17 BB/K ratio, 9 SB, .397 OBP, .496 SLG.
I know he was rushed and got to AAA at age 19, and spent his age 20 season in AAA also, but he was brought back down to AA this year.
Pretty much just looking for more thoughts about this kid.
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Real nice glove
If you want to see a small video clip of him and a real good scouting repert on him check out Caleaguers.com. He Only did reports in 2004 and 2005 but, the site is still up and Cabrera played there at Inland Empire in 2005, i think.
by casejud on May 21, 2007 5:41 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Response
It'll be interesting to see how he holds up against higher levels of competition. He doesn't show a lot of pop at present and hits the ball on the ground a ton.
I don't think he'll really hit all that much when he jumps to higher levels. I'm thinking upside is something like a rich man's Cesar Izturis? Mind you Izturis has done enough to start in the majors, which does bode well for Cabrera's future.
by mrkupe on May 21, 2007 6:01 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Thoughts on Cabrera!
Cabrera is having a very nice year at AA, which is really where he should have been last year, but due to Seattle's SS depth, including Adam Jones (who I believe was the one who started at AA,) Cabrera was pushed up to AAA at 20-YO before he was ready. Some of the LetsGoTribe posters, including myself, thought that Cabrera could have an over .800 OPS at AA, which would make him one of the better SS prospects around, especially since there have been several comments that his defense is already ML-caliber, though I also heard when the season started that the Indians wanted him to polish up his routine in the sense that he was sometimes too flashy when he didn't need to be, but he seems to have toned that down since the season started.
The Indians, specially AA Aeros manager Tim Bogar, have been impressed with the way Cabrera has handled himself at AA in terms of his attitude; other notable prospects who are "demoted" to AA wouldn't bring the passion and enthusiasm that Cabrera brings to the ballpark every day; they'd think "I've already been in AAA; I don't need to be in AA." Cabrera has shown none of that from reports I've read (not sure if it was on BA's blog or if it was in the local papers, but there was a sizable recent writeup of what Bogar thought of Cabrera's play so far.)
mrkupe - Akron's HR Park Factor was 0.90 in 2006, and the weighted park effect from 2004-2006 was 0.84, so Akron's Canal Park is more of a pitcher's park when it comes to allowing HRs. In addition, a SS hitting 5 HRs in 129 ABs is not bad at all - heck, project that out to 500 ABs and that's between 19-20 HRs, which isn't bad at all for a SS. 2 of his 5 HRs have been hit at Canal Park; I don't know offhand what parks he's hit his other 3 HRs in, so I can't say whether they are more hitters' or pitchers' park when it comes to giving up HRs.
Cabrera does have a significantly higher BA at home than on the road (.390 to .243) and also a higher BA in the daytime compared to nighttime (.378 to .283,) so he does have some noticeable splits.
However, I think we need to keep in mind that Cabrera managed to hit .230+ at AAA at age 20, and if I recall correctly, he was mostly .260-.270 until a late season slump dropped his average by a good margin at the end of the year. When Cabrera gets back up to AAA, probably 2nd half of 2007, I don't think .270-.290, at least, is out of reach for him, now that he's experienced AA and has had an extended taste of AAA. We can't read too much into what he did at AAA last year since it was obvious he was rushed. With more development time, I think .260-.280 at the ML level would be a decent possiblity, maybe with up to 10-15 HRs - not too shabby. :-)
Just my 2 cents.
Take care and have a great day!
by indiansfan on May 21, 2007 7:13 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
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It should be noted that it's a good thing that Cabrera didn't have a big head coming into this year. He sucked last year offensively, pushed or not. It'd be hard to imagine why he would think that hitting .230 could ever be considered a good thing. And I find the assumption that other players would think that way to be pretty silly.
by mrkupe on May 21, 2007 7:27 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
As I said, Bogar is the one who made those
Take care and have a great day!
by indiansfan on May 22, 2007 12:49 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Hey Indians Fan
by grandslam on May 21, 2007 8:23 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
AstroCab
I like him a lot as well but I think we are looking at a real good backup middle infielder, at least in the Cleveland organization. I just don't see him hitting well enough at the ML level to really make Shapiro consider him as a replacement for Peralta or Barfield in the next four years. It is real early for comparisons but I don't think Cabrera has the upside of Rivero. Glovewise yes, but not with the stick. I am not all that enamored with the move of Goedert to 2B. I would almost rather see them move Hodges prematurely than do this. How about a big welcome back for Aubrey!!!
by sdtribefan on May 21, 2007 10:27 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Not necessarily!
Regarding Cabrera, I can understand your point, but keep in mind that if Cabrera does develop, one of four things could happen -
- He could be a backup MIF for the Indians.
- He could become a viable trading chip for something the Indians need.
- He could allow the Indians to trade Peralta IF they want to go that route down the road (that doesn't seem likely now with the way Peralta has bounced back offensively and defensively, but it gives the Indians that option down the road closer to the end of his current contract - I'm not sure if it ends after the 2009 or 2010 season (not sure.))
- If Marte doesn't develop, the Indians could shift Peralta to 3B, a position he did play for a while in the Minors, and insert Cabrera at SS.
Speaking of Goedert, someone over at LGT mentioned that he played some 2B at Kansas State - I don't know this for sure, but I had heard he only played 3B regularly for his last year there. Therefore, the Indians must have felt comfortable to have him play there, if even on a temporary basis. In 2 Gs, he made no errors, though I don't know how many chances he had.
As for Hodges, I'm not so sure I'd want to move him up prematurely - while his numbers look decent on the surface, his BB/K numbers aren't that great for a college draftee at High-A, suggesting he may need some more time to adjust there. I'd rather they try Goedert at 2B in High-A if they feel he can handle it - the Indians really don't have anyone of consequence playing 2B there anyway. Besides that, it's a pretty big jump from Low-A to AA, even for a college draftee crushing Low-A like Goedert's doing, so I think this is an innovative approach to getting Goedert to High-A now instead of waiting a few months until Hodges is ready for AA.
If Goedert can't handle 2B in a brief trial, by then, Hodges might be ready for AA, which would open up 3B at High-A for Goedert. Or perhaps the Indians will jump Goedert up to AA after of Hodges anyway, but at least Goedert will get some High-A experience before he makes that jump to AA.
As for Aubrey, I'm hopeful, but like I've said before, anything from him would be a bonus - he just can't stay healthy. He seems to have the tools to be a potentially productive MLer, but just can't stay on the field long enough to fine-tune those tools for the ML level. Hopefully, this time he can. I suspect he'll be back at AA within a few weeks after he gets his feet wet and the weather warms up on a more permanent basis (still some chilly nights up in the Cleveland-Akron area - upper-40s to low-50s.)
Just my 2 cents. :-)
Take care and have a great day!
by indiansfan on May 22, 2007 9:51 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Cabrera, et al
As usual, I think your analysis is to the point. My reservations are that I don't believe he can be traded with the lack of MI depth in the organization and I have seen Peralta play 3B. It is not a pretty sight.
I got to go with what you say on Goedert at 2B. My brother loves the guy but he says he does not even have Kouz's upside in the field. He says Goedert has a faster bat than Kouz and much faster than Mulhern and Goleski. Much shorter stroke.
Hey, we got a serious traffic jam at 1B. Think we move Brown back to an already crowded OF?
by sdtribefan on May 22, 2007 11:19 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
At LGT, we're wondering whether Brown,
Hello sdtribefan,
Peralta would need a lot of reps at 3B before one could determine whether he could play there full-time or now; it might be a bit of a stretch, but most SSs could probably play 3B if need be; the main reason that transition doesn't take place very often is because most SSs can't fill the power requirement for 3B. Jhonny probably could make the change from an offensive standpoint - I don't know how fast his reflexes are to handle 3B defensively, but he does look quicker this year, probably at least in part due to his getting LASIK surgery and having improved eyesight. He can help to compensate for his lack of range with a quicker first step.
As for trading Cabrera, don't forget that the Royals traded for Tony Pena Jr., another relatively young (25-26,) relatively light-hitting SS who plays good defense, so I don't think it's totally out of the question, but of course, it will depend on the market.
As for Goedert, that doesn't sound too good (being compared to Kouz and not having Kouz's upside defensively when Kouz wasn't considered a great defensive 3B,) but I presume the Indians felt comfortable enough to do it based on previous video and analysis of him at KSU, so hopefully it works out, and hopefully better than it did for Crowe.
As for our logjam at 1B, there's been speculation at LGT that Brown and Mulhern both could be OF options, as 1B could get quite crowded if Aubrey can work his way back into the picture and if Head can consistently provide power and average (some sizable IFs at this point, but possible.) I heard that Brown liked playing 1B at the Univ. of Arizona and I thought I heard he plays above-average defense there. Hmm... maybe they might have Aubrey and Brown split 1B and DH, with possibly Brown playing some OF too; that way, Aubrey will get some 1B work, yet not overdo it - hopefully, that will help to keep him healthy.
It will be interesting to see what happens in the Indians' system - they've got several solid, notable prospects to keep an eye on, and increasingly fewer places to put these guys. The big question might be - will this lead to a possible trade later this year, around the deadline perhaps, or maybe this upcoming offseason, maybe for a very good reliever/closer (Otsuka or someone of that nature?) It should be interesting to watch.
Just my 2 cents. :-)
Take care and have a great day!
by indiansfan on May 22, 2007 11:44 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
AstroCab and others
My bad grammar, I guess. I meant Cabrera would not be traded because the Tribe could not afford to trade since he is the only viable MI in the organization for the foreseeable future. Nothing at Buffalo is really ML quality.
I know you like Mulhern a bit but to me he is a non-prospect. That swing will never cut it in the show, IMHO. Brown can handle the OF but Mulhern is real weak defensively. I could be way off base on this but I think it more likely to see Aubrey move to Buffalo by July if he remains healthy.
As far as trades go, I hear that Shapiro has the go ahead to add as much as $7 million in salary for the right player/s. Both Shapiro and Wedge want to give Dellucci more time. There are some interesting rumors floating around about contacts with the Jays and Rangers.
by sdtribefan on May 23, 2007 6:52 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
That was my bad! :-)
No, actually, that was my bad - I understand what you mean now - must have been a brain cramp on my part, LOL! :-) Sorry about that.
Regarding Mulhern, he's a bit old, even for AAA (26,) but it's always nice to have depth, and with the question marks surrounding 1B prospects like Aubrey and Head, it never hurts to have a backup if anything would happen to Garko. I presume Mulhern has a big swing (never seen him live,) but he's controlled the strike zone pretty well for the most part so far this year (better than Snyder,) so he might be worthwhile enough to give him a cup of coffee. More worthwhile than say, Jason Cooper, who's still at Buffalo, surprisingly - I thought Cooper would be out of the organization by now.
I know Mulhern played the OF for a time - I don't know how well, but being that Dellucci hasn't been that good in LF, I imagine Mulhern wouldn't be much worse out there, though I suspect he'll need some reps before going out there for game action.
Regarding Aubrey, I could see Aubrey getting up to Buffalo by July if he remains healthy (a big IF at this point) AND if he can handle AA to the extent he has handled High-A. If he could do that at AA for 1-1.5 months, I could see Aubrey in Buffalo after the ASB. At that time, you could either shift Mulhern to the OF or have him split time with Aubrey at 1B to try to keep Aubrey healthy.
Regarding trades, I've heard the rumors about Otsuka being moved, but who specifically with the Jays, outside of Glaus? McGowan, Frasor, Accardo? Hmm - I suspect if the Indians make a deadline trade, it would be for a quality bullpen reliever/closer, since Roberto Hernandez has been mostly ineffective and Fernando Cabrera's control has been very erratic of late, not to mention Borowski sometimes living too much on the edge in the 9th inning, though he does have 14 saves, so he hasn't been as concerning as either Hernandez or Cabrera.
The offense and starting rotation has been pretty solid for the most part (outside of Dellucci offensively and Sowers in the rotation, but with Westbrook returning soon and the likes of Miller long-term and Stanford, Slocum, and Harris short-term, I'm not sure the Indians would trade for a starter or for an offensive player unless it was for a player who fit into their long-term plans and came at an affordable/acceptable trade price.)
Just my 2 cents. :-)
Take care and have a great day!
by indiansfan on May 23, 2007 7:01 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Mulhern, et al
Actually, I think Glaus is more Jays' idea. Although they won't give up Westbrook or any other of the front 8, they will deal for Rios as a first choice. Glaus is a litlle pricy for my taste if the goal is to retain Hafner. Supposedly, Toronto will not pick up any of his contract but we have heard that before. Remember, I am the guy who didn't want to give up on Martinez, Carmona and Peralta. Learned my lesson with Phillips. Should have stuck with my guns and unloaded Belliard but no guts/foresight. Marte has enough natural ability to warrant some time. I think the answer lies in the corner OFs if Dellucci doesn't get it together soon.
Noticed they bought up Koplove for Eddie Mu. Wait and see! Actually more excited about reports of a Cliff Politte sighting or two.
Have to go watch the game now!
by sdtribefan on May 23, 2007 7:33 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Thanks for the info. on Mulhern!
Thanks for the info. on Mulhern - he sounds a bit like Russell Branyan, though Branyan never showed the BA (or the patience I think) that Mulhern has, so I'll keep him on the "someone to keep an eye on on occasion" list - if nothing else, he might be a decent throw-in in a trade we do make - he might turn out better than Danny Peoples (1B we traded in the Alomar/Escobar/Traber deal - didn't hear much about him after that trade.)
I too would prefer Rios compared to Glaus, mostly because Rios still has a bit of upside left in him, plus the fact that Glaus seems to be becoming more of a DH - granted, if Hafner leaves, then Glaus would fit perfectly, but I'd take Hafner's power, average, and patience combination over Glaus' pure power any day.
I agree Dellucci is the problem spot right now - some LGT posters even complained when he finally hit an RBI double into the left-center gap last night because it bounced over the wall, preventing Nixon from scoring - they mentioned, "even when he does do something right, he messes it up." Of course, they were jesting, but seriously, we need to see more big hits like that from Dellucci - that's why the Indians were willing to sign him for 3 years. Even if he's not here for the full 3 years, we need him to hit so he can be decent trade bait somewhere down the road.
Regarding Koplove, they brought him up mostly because he had a clause in his contract that allowed him to seek out another team if he wasn't in the Majors by that point. That time was coming up very soon (like within a week or so, I believe.) As Wedge pointed out, it really had nothing to do with Mujica's performance, but as some LGT posters mentioned, it's easier to bring up Koplove now and replace him with Mujica if Koplove falters than it is to release Koplove, bring up Mujica, and try to replace him if he falters.
This provides extra security for the Indians, and if Koplove can do a decent to solid job, that can help to alleviate the strain on the back-end of the bullpen, specifically Mastny, Betancourt, and JoeBo, as Cabrera has had erratic command of late and Hernandez can't seem to get anyone out because he really hasn't had any consistent command all year.
The game was so bad last night, I couldn't even watch the whole thing - I knew Lee was going to struggle the whole night after I seen him give back 2 runs in the first inning; Wedge was not pleased with him either, calling him out on his postgame interview. Lee needs to step up and deliver more performances like he did against the Angels a few weeks ago than these blow-outs or unimpressive performances he's been giving for most of the past year. A repeat or closer representation of 2005 would be very nice! :-)
Just my 2 cents.
Take care and have a great day!
by indiansfan on May 24, 2007 4:59 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Ms' AAA
Cabrera started '06 in Triple-A because the Mariners are insane, plain and simple. Even Double-A would have been an aggressive assignment for 'Drubie in '06.
I did an interview with him just before the trade, but never had occasion to write it up for the publication I write for in Seattle because of the trade. He signed with the Mariners because Omar Vizquel was his favorite player. So far, he seems to be stalking the guy. Whatever kind of career he ends up having, expect 'Drubie to end it playing for the Giants.
by jhelfgott on May 21, 2007 10:47 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I agree with you
i live in Seattle and, Id be interested in your publication.
Thanks, Case
by casejud on May 22, 2007 12:51 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
GS
I do the minor league wrap for the Grand Salami magazine, Jon Wells' publication sold outside of Safeco (the alternative program).
by jhelfgott on May 22, 2007 2:20 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Thanks for the correction!
Thanks for the correction; I knew somehow Jones wound up in CF, but I didn't remember the specific details - thanks!
Yes, I could have seen Cabrera starting again in High-A in 2006 - he only had a limited number of ABs in both Low-A and High-A, so it was a very aggressive promotion. I think the Ms did that because they had another SS prospect targeted for AA, didn't they? Or am I incorrect? Otherwise, I really don't know why they'd do that - heck, Cabrera was all of 20-YO - that's young for AA, let alone AAA. Mind-boggling to say the least.
Just my 2 cents. :-)
Take care and have a great day!
by indiansfan on May 22, 2007 9:28 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
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