The Blue Jays have agreed to sign Melky Cabrera to a two year $16M deal according to ESPN. Cabrera is coming off two very good seasons and a 50 game drug suspension. The key question is...what kind of Melky are the Jays getting?
Cabrera was born in 1984 and will play most of the 2013 season as a 28 year old, peak age for a hitter. But Cabrera was virtually a replacement level player from 2008 to 2010. In 2011 and 2012 he blossomed with the Giants but how much of that can you assume will continue? Was it drug aided and will a cleaner Cabrera deliver the same value in 2013?
The other question might be why did Cabrera sign so quickly and with Toronto? Did the Jays offer him the most money or is there a Dominican connection at work here? Cabrera is from Santo Domingo in the DR. Jose Bautista, Edwin Encarnacion and Jose Reyes are also from the DR. After a reputation hit, like Cabrera had, has he reached for the comfort of some of his home boys as teammates?
Cabrera's B-Ref page.
More to come
https://www.battersbox.ca/article.php?story=20121116141457358