The Texas Rangers have designated infielder and former New York Met Asdrubal Cabrera for assignment.
The move comes as a bit of a surprise, as Cabrera has been Texas’s everyday third baseman, and he has had three three-hit games after the All-Star Break. That said, the Rangers have largely fallen out of Wild Card contention, and they are in a position where they may want to look at younger players at the position.
Cabrera has also struggled this year, hitting .235/.318/.393 with 15 doubles, 12 homers, and 51 RBI in 93 games. His 81 wRC+ currently stands as the worst of his career. He has not been strong in the field either, with -3 DRS over 793.0 innings at third.
In the past, teams would hold onto players like Cabrera until late August and move them to contenders for cash considerations on the eve of rosters expanding to 40 players. With Major League Baseball eliminating the August waiver trade deadline, however, we may see more players like Cabrera get designated for assignment giving them an opportunity to help a contending team.
With the New York Mets needing help on the bench, there may be speculation of a reunion with Cabrera. On that front, it should be noted Cabrera’s .348 OBP was his best of the season, and he has been a very good second half hitter in his career with his career second half OPS being 23 points higher.
It should also be noted Cabrera had his best years as a member of the Mets organization, and his play down the stretch of the 2016 season really helped propel that team into the postseason. With the Mets needing a big bat off the bench late in the game, and Cabrera still having some versatility, a reunion could work very well for both sides.
