Chris Cotillo of SB Nation reports that four teams are interested in free agent shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera. In 143 games this season, Cabrera batted .265 with 15 homeruns and 58 RBI for Tampa Bay. He also belted 28 doubles and had a .744 OPS.
Cabrera has been an average to below average defender at shortstop throughout his career, but he did show some improvement in 2015. He is expected to sign a 2-3 year deal worth about $9-10 million annually.
Even though the Rays recently acquired shortstop Brad Miller from the Mariners, Cotillo says that Tampa hasn’t ruled out a reunion with Cabrera. However, there haven’t been any other teams specifically linked to the 30 year old shortstop as of yet.
The Mets could be one of the four mystery teams that are interested, but he doesn’t appear to be a significant upgrade over what the club already has. Wilmer Flores handled himself just fine last season, and he even posted similar numbers to Cabrera in his first full year in the majors.
Flores, 24, batted .263 with 22 doubles, 16 home runs, 59 RBI and a .703 OPS in 137 games last season, while also playing respectable defense at short. He also produced a solid second half to close out the year with a .285 batting average with a .435 slugging. Given his age, he could certainly build off these numbers going forward.
Another possibility is playing Cabrera at second base, but I’d rather the Mets set their sights higher at this position if they go the free agent route. They also have the option of turning to rookie Dilson Herrera, who is one of the team’s top offensive position prospects and could thrive in a starting role if given the chance.
