Asdrubal Cabrera Signs with the Texas Rangers

The Texas Rangers and free agent infielder, Asdrubal Cabrera agreed to a one-year deal worth $3.5 million yesterday, pending a physical per Jeff Passan of ESPN, who also credited Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic as the first to report the news.

The former Met had been with the club since the 2016 season until he was dealt to the Philadelphia Phillies at last year’s trade deadline. Cabrera put up solid numbers last season between New York and Philadelphia posting a .262/.316/.458 line, while slugging 23 home runs and 75 RBI.

While the 33-year-old utility man provides versatility with experience at shortstop, second, and third base, the Rangers plan on starting him at third to fill the void left by future Hall of Famer, Adrian Beltre, who previously manned the position for the past 8 seasons, until his recent retirement this offseason writes Passan.

Markakis Goes Back to Atlanta 

 According to Rosenthal, the Atlanta Braves have officially re-signed outfielder, Nick Markakis to a “bargain” deal of one year, $6 million. The details of this contract come with a $4 million salary in 2019 and a choice of a club option for $6 million or a $2 million buyout in 2020 writes Rosenthal.

This “team friendly” deal comes as somewhat of a surprise considering Markakis is arguably coming off the best year of his career, where he made his first All-Star appearance and posted a 2.6 WAR, .297/.366/.440 slash line, along with hitting 14 home runs and driving in 93 RBIs.

It can be assumed that this contract agreement was a result of the slow-moving market this offseason, along with Markakis’s age (35). Despite these factors, the outfielder also spent the last four seasons with the Braves, so it is possible this “home town” discount is a sign that he plans on finishing out his impressive career in Atlanta.

Wilin Rosario to Work Out for Clubs

Rosenthal also notes that former Colorado Rockies Catcher/first basemen, Wilin Rosario will work out teams in the Dominican Republic tomorrow. Rosario last played in the majors in 2015 and has spent time playing in Korea and Japan over the last three seasons.

The soon to be 30-year-old Rosario had solid offensive numbers with the Rockies from 2011-2015. Over the course of those 5 seasons, Rosario hit a combined 71 home runs, 241 RBIs, and put up a slash line of .273/.306/.473/ in 447 games.

Ichiro Making a Comeback with the Mariners 

It was reported by Bob Nightengale of USA Today Sports early this morning that 45 year old future Hall of Famer, Ichiro Suzuki is attempting a comeback with his original team, the Seattle Mariners, who have signed him to a minor league deal. Suzuki spent 13 seasons in Seattle, including 2018, and will earn $750,000 if he cracks their major league roster.