Orlando Cabrera Retires
Great career, but as a Giants fan, I only wish he’d retired back in June.
He was the exact kind of Omar Vizquel type that Brian Sabean had gambled on in the past, only he was even older, and sometimes batted fifth. Fifth! To be fair, we never got to see how he did singing Goo Goo Dolls songs.
Meanwhile, the player traded for Cabrera, Thomas Neal, remains a 24-year-old semi-prospect. Neal probably won’t amount to much, but given how the off-season has gone, the Giants probably could have flipped him to the A’s for a starting pitcher, given Billy Beane’s inexplicable quest to acquire every fourth outfielder in baseball.
And MLB is without yet another former Expo. After posting a .238/.267/.307 line with the Giants and Indians in 2011, 37 year-old Orlando Cabrera has decided to retire. His career year came as an Expo in 2003, when he hit .297/.347/.460 with 17 HR, 80 RBI, and 24 stolen bases. He was never better offensively, though his 2007 season came close.
Red Sox fans will fondly remember Cabrera as the guy who came over as part of the Nomar trade and brought some much-needed stability to the team’s shortstop position in 2004. He was one of the many parts that helped deliver the World Series victory that year (yes, we’re still talking about that) and hit .294 with six home runs and 31 RBI down the stretch.
My gut tells me he’ll be back as a bench coach of some sort. Wishful thinking? Perhaps. But I’m a dreamer, after all, just like Orlando.
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