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Orlando Cabrera, our time together was too short... Anyone witnessing the end of the Yankees season last night had to notice the incredible play of the Los Angeles Anaheim California Angels (or whatever they are this week) shortstop, and former Red Sox World Champion, Orlando Cabrera.
Cabrera was a catalyst in the victory last night over the hated NYY. Cabrera was only 1-4 with a run scored, but there were two critical plays involving the hard nosed shortstop that helped put the Angels into a position to win the game.
First, in the second inning, with Angels starter Bartolo Colon leaving the game and replaced by Ervin Santana, Robinson Cano attempted to steal second base. Angels Catcher made a hard throw to second that bounced to eye level, which Cabrera handled masterfully and tagged out Cano to give the Angels the first out in the inning, which thwarted the extension of a rally by the Yanks.
Again, in the third inning, Cabrera, after reaching on a single, was able to go 1st to 3rd on a flare by Vlad Guerrero. Television viewers couldn't tell whether or not the ball would drop, but Cabrera read the play and never hesitated in getting himself to 3rd base with less than 2 outs. Cabrera scored subsequently on a Garret Anderson sacrifice fly.
Can anyone tell Bostonist, why the Sox let this guy go? Seeing that baseball is evaluated by the powers that be as a numbers game, let’s go to the stats. The Sox, in their infinite wisdom, decided that Edgar Renteria was a better fit for the club this year, at $8 million per- no less, as opposed to Cabrera’s $6 million.
Final stats for the year:
Renteria - .276 .385 SLG, 70 RBI, 8 HR, 8 SB, 30 errors
Cabrera - .257 .365 SLG 57 RBI, 8 HR, 21 SB 7 errors
Renteria was touted as a player who will "make all the routine plays, and some spectacular plays". Leading the AL in errors w/ 30 for shortsops, doesn't sound to the Bosonist as a player who makes all the plays. He was supposed to be a speed demon on the base paths, but he only had 9 steals to Cabrera’s 21.
Cabrera, although his hitting numbers are a tad worse, is a gold-glove caliber shortstop (Renteria's gold glove days have obviously passed him by), a high energy player, who has already made some big plays in the ALDS including a game-winning 2-run single in the seventh inning of game 2 for the Angels over the hated Yankees.
The Sox got ripped off in this situation, and had a chance to not only keep a better player, but keep an energy-guy, a club-house player, who not only contributes offensively and defensively but has the intangibles to keep the team loose and happy, and who was a fan-favorite due to his exceptional play over 2 months of the season for the 2004 World Champs.
Theo, the Red Sox faithful love you, but it seems that you botched this one big-time. Not only is Cabrera clearly a better player and would have been a better fit for the Sox over the next few years, but the Sox are now stuck with a liability at shortstop defensively, and marginal offensive player for 8 million dollars per year. The intangibles of breaking up the 2004 Sox, including players like Cabrera, Dave Roberts, Pedro Martinez, and Derek Lowe, are now on the forefront of why the Sox could not repeat, and Red Sox nation is now, again, in the wait until next year mode.
This article contributed by Benjamin June
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from what I hear he was a bit abrasive in the clubhouse ... and by a "bit" I mean abrasive enough to not re-sign.
who knows though.
boston is a second rate city. the sox are a second rate team. just average out your last 100 years of existence and you'll catch my drift.
Cabrera was fun to watch play in the 2004 season. He just looked like he was having such a good time out there. Every time I saw him this season I was just reminded of how sad I am he's not in a Sox uniform any more.
if renteria is a marginal player, then cabrera should be in AAA. renteria is a year younger, has won twice as many gold gloves, and has always hit better than cabrera. i doubt the red sox even make the playoffs this year if cabrera is on the team.