the argument against cabrera.

With Arod likely out of the picture the New York Yankees have a much talked about hole to fill at third. Obviously no one will match the regular season productivity Arod offered, but it won't be tough to top Arod's post-season production should the Yankees make it, so at least there's that. The many names to be in the Yankee rumor-mill of late include Joe Crede, Mike Lowell, Adrian Beltre, and Scott Rolen. However one of the sexiest names on the list is Miguel Cabrera. Cabrera would add power and run production to the Yankees line-up in the post-Arod era and the Yankees should avoid going after him unless the price is remarkably cheap. Perhaps that last sentence seems a bit counterintuitive, but I stand by it... for now.

I write about my reluctance to see Cabrera in pinstripes knowing I may full well come to someday eat my words. The talent that can be seen every time Cabrera steps up to the plate is undeniable and he would only get more dangerous with the protection the Yankees lineup would offer. Yet for all his talent Cabrera comes with an awful lot of baggage. He has continued issues with his attitude and even more importantly with his weight and that should raise red flags for any team considering to pay for his services with top-flight prospects that just may flourish while Cabrera moves closer and closer to the 300 lb. club.

If the Yankees are only looking for a temporary replacement at third with Cabrera, and pay accordingly, then this could be a good deal to make. Cabrera can at times make the brilliant play at third, scattered in with the boneheaded gaff from time to time as well. However his weight issues tend to point toward the reality that Cabrera has little future at the hot corner and will need to shift to first, or perhaps even to DH, within the next few seasons. The ratio of brilliant to boneheaded plays will continue to move in an ugly direction if a team stubbornly keeps Cabrera at third, so if the Yankees look at Cabrera's age and expect to be trading for their third-baseman of the future they would wind up overpaying and Cashman will be forced to admit, in the immortal words of George Oscar Bluth, "I've made a huge mistake."

However, if the Yankees can pay the right price for Cabrera, understanding that he would be the team's DH some time inside the next two seasons then perhaps he's worth the gamble. It's always possible he will continue to produce at a high level in spite of his weight and that Girardi will be able to keep Cabrera from disturbing the atmosphere of the clubhouse too severely turning Cabrera into the Yankees' version of Manny Ramirez, yet that is a huge 'if'. The reality is that Florida will likely expect quite a lot in return for a player widely known to be one of their remarkably talented young players, and while the price may turn out to be justified, I don't think the Yankees should take that chance.

In the end the likelihood of Cabrera coming to the Bronx will probably be forestalled by the insistence most teams seem to have that the Yankees include Hughes in any big deals, something the Yankees have proven unwilling (and wisely so) to do. Thus, it is possible this post is moot from the very beginning. Either way, the offseason is underway which is always one of my favorite parts of following baseball, kind of like watching the trailers when you go to the movies. So, let the rumors, trades, signings, and second-guessing begin!