On Saturday, with less than 24 hours before the non-waiver trade deadline, the Cleveland Indians pulled off one of the best deals of the season. No, not the deal that brought Ubaldo Jimenez to Progressive Field—I’m talking, of course, about the trade with the San Francisco Giants that netted the Tribe prospect Thomas Neal for second baseman Orlando Cabrera.
Cabrera, 36, was signed as a free agent last winter to provide clubhouse leadership and stability at second base. In this first regard he performed spectacularly—he’s at least partly responsible for Asdrubal Cabrera’s power surge—but his on-field contributionsleft something to be desired.
In 91 games with the Indians, he hit .244/.277/.321 with 4 homers, 6 steals, a 66 wRC+ and -0.6 WAR. The converted shortstop had trouble adjusting to the supposedly easier position as well, costing the Indians -7.2 runs with his glove, per UZR.
Neal isn’t likely to be a future All-Star, but he’s a great return on in...
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