Yardbarker: Fernando Cabrera

Non Roster Invitee: Brian Shouse – Red Sox

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 10:50:02 -0500

Brian Shouse #39" width="234" />The highlight of Red Sox camp appears to be whether the team can find a second left handed pitcher out of the bullpen. While I’ve never thought too much of the second lefty myself (I believe it’s more like the third string QB, its already screwed if he comes in) there is nonetheless an endless supply of those in the Northeast who are curious of what is going on in Sox camp.

Brian Shouse, formerly of Tampa Bay, is the left hander in camp with the inside track on the job. While some suggest the he’s struggled I’ll go ahead and say the 41 year old has pitched 5.1 innings struck out 4 and allowed 5 hits and a walk.

For a second lefty option those numbers aren’t too bad and it’s not like Shouse doesn’t have 467 big league games under his belt. He’s appeared in 45 or more games dating back to 2003 and only twice during that time is his ERA over 4.50 (2005, 2009)

Some may think Shouse is on the down side of his career and sure he’s 41 but it’s not like he’s ever walked into a game and said “I will now retire the side on 9 pitches.”

Nope. Not Brian Shouse’s routine.

Aging lefties can hang on for years in baseball and Brian Shouse is no different. He’s not going to light the AL East on fire but more importantl

y he’s not going to pour gas on the bullpen in Boston either.

Non-Roster Invitees Pitchers B/T Ht Wt DOB 61 Randor Bierd R/R 6-4 190 03/14/84 53 Fernando Cabrera R/R 6-4 225 11/16/81 83 Kris Johnson L/L 6-4 170 10/14/84 93 Casey Kelly R/R 6-3 195 10/04/89 74 Robert Manuel R/R 6-3 205 07/09/83 82 Adam Mills R/R 5-11 190 11/19/84 46 Joe Nelson R/R 6-1 205 10/25/74 55 Brian Shouse L/L 5-10 190 09/26/68 36 Jorge Sosa R/R 6-2 220 04/28/77 97 Kyle Weiland L/R 6-4 195 09/12/86 Catchers B/T Ht Wt DOB 91 Luis Exposito R/R 6-3 210 01/20/87 72 Gustavo Molina R/R 6-1 245 02/24/82 Infielders B/T Ht Wt DOB 78 Lars Anderson L/L 6-4 215 09/25/87 96 Yamaico Navarro R/R 5-11 170 10/31/87 62 Angel Sanchez R/R 6-2 205 09/20/83 60 Gil Velazquez R/R 6-2 170 10/17/79 Outfielders B/T Ht Wt DOB 87 Zach Daeges L/R 6-4 225 11/16/83 92 Ryan Kalish L/L 6-1 205 03/28/88 85 Che-Hsuan Lin R/R 6-0 180 09/21/88 54 Darnell McDonald R/R 5-11 205 11/17/78

Red Sox Announce 2010 Non-Roster Invitees To Spring Training

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 17:03:54 -0500

Boston, MA – The Red Sox today announced that 20 players will attend the team’s Major League Spring Training camp as non-roster invitees. The announcement was made by Executive Vice President/General Manager Theo Epstein. The non-roster invitees are pitchers Randor Bierd, Fernando Cabrera, Kris Johnson, Casey Kelly, Adam Mills, Edwin Moreno, Joe Nelson, Brian Shouse, Jorge Sosa [...]

Red Sox Sign Seven Free Agents to Minor League Contracts

Fri, 15 Jan 2010 22:26:17 -0500

The Red Sox today announced the signings of seven free agents to 2010 minor league contracts. In addition, all seven players have been invited to Boston’s Major League Spring Training camp as non-roster players. The seven free agents are right-handed pitchers Fernando Cabrera, Edwin Moreno and Jorge Sosa, left-hander Brian Shouse, infielders Angel Sanchez and Gil [...]

I just want a bit part in your life!

Sat, 05 Dec 2009 12:50:00 -0500

Since I was denied access to Rhody college basketball, I have a little time to kill.I came across this piece of heaven right here. It's from a sports radio blog. Normally, I avoid that stuff. But this is right up my alley!Excerpts from Gary Marbry's 'Red Sox Reviews - The Bit Pitchers #1'1. Fernando Cabrera's first pitch was a ball to 50% of batters faced in 2009. Don't I know it!2. "None of the 28 batters that Cabrera faced put the first pitch in play last season." Cabrera only faced 28 batters? How is that possible?3. "When opponents put the Hunter Jones' first pitch in play, they went 6 for 9 with 2 doubles and 2 HR (and a HBP), good for an OPS allowed of 2.156. That’s the highest such OPS allowed by a Red Sox pitcher since they began tracking the stat in 1988 (min. 10 such batters faced)."4. "Javier Lopez finished his Red Sox career ranked 20th in games pitched in relief as a Red Sox with 172. He finished 5 appearances behind 19th place Dick Drago, 1 game ahead of Rheal Cormier, and 2 ahead of Keith Foulke." EAT IT, FOULKE!!!Remarkable.And one more quick thing: No, two things: Wait.1.A couple of years ago I wrote a post called 'I Hate Marco Scutaro', but it looks like I deleted it. He may have been on the A's at the time. I suppose I could have written a similar post called "I Hate Jeff DaVanon".2. I'm heading down to the park to pick up a few items.

Fernando Cabrera is available - claim him...

Fri, 21 Aug 2009 16:45:00 -0500

The Mets were reported to be interested in Fernando Cabrera this winter ( source MLBTR) but allowed him to slip by to the Red Sox on a minor league contract.The 27 y/o right hander is a hard throwing reliever who has the potential to be a set-up man, while dominating the minor leagues he has struggled in the majors. In six seasons in AAA with the Indians, Orioles and Red Sox's affiliates he has an ERA 2.31 in 130 appearances and 233 SO in 198 innings. He's been coming to the majors since 2004, all partial seasons except 2006 ( 51 appearances/ 5.19 ERA), overall he has an ERA of 5.00 in 129 appearances and while his ERA isn't great he has great strike out ratios 192 SO in 172 innings. The Red Sox Designated him for assignment (source MLBTR), the Mets don't have many hard throwing pitcher's with strike out potential and a funky delivery, the Mets should put a claim in on Cabrera if he makes it too them...

Fernando Cabrera Gets Called Up to Boston

Mon, 10 Aug 2009 18:22:00 -0500

Fernando Cabrera, closer for the Pawtucket Red Sox ever since Daniel Bard got called, has joined his former teammate in Boston. Cabrera has a 1.69 ERA in 38 games for Pawtucket, has earned 20 saves, and made the AAA All Star Team this season, earning a save in that game, as well.Some may have questioned why he got the call rather than Michael Bowden. Unfortunately for Bowden, he had a poor start on August 5, (3 IP, 6 H, 6 ER, 3 BB, 4 K), which may be the most likely reason he was bypassed this time. Fenway West- The Western Home to Red Sox Nation http://www.fenwaywest.com

Cabrera latest to cycle through roster

Mon, 10 Aug 2009 00:51:32 -0500

NEW YORK - Fernando Cabrera arrived at Yankee Stadium at about 5:25 p.m. yesterday. He came from Pawtucket, R.I., where hope runs rampant and the major leagues don’t seem far away. “Everybody’s getting ready,’’ Cabrera said.

Breaking News: Red Sox Call Up Cabrera, Send Gonzalez Back To PawSox

Sun, 09 Aug 2009 16:28:05 -0500

The revolving door in the Boston Red Sox continues this afternoon as the Boston Red Sox announced they have called up Pawtucket Red Sox closer Fernando Cabrera. To make room on the 25-man roster, they have sent pitcher Enrique Gonzalez back to Pawtucket. In 38 games with the PawSox, Cabrera has an 0-3 record with 20 [...]

Fernando Cabrera tears it up with PawSox, awaits call

Sun, 09 Aug 2009 09:28:50 -0500

Will the real Fernando Cabrera please stand up? Is it the Cabrera, who from 2006-08, posted a minor league ERA of 1.12? Or is it the Cabrera who, during the same period, had a major league ERA of 5.92? "I don't look at stats and I don't know what his stats were (last season) with the Orioles," said Pawtucket Red Sox pitching coach Rich Sauveur of the team's closer. "I can only go on what I've seen this year. To me, this kid can pitch in the big leagues right now. "I'm sure his name has been thrown around (prior to the non-waiver trade deadline) by teams looking for help. The kid has done a very, very nice job for us in Pawtucket." Once Daniel Bard was recalled by Boston, the 27-year-old Cabrera slid into the closer's role and has been nearly flawless. Through August 7, Cabrera was 20-for-20 in save opportunities. Overall, he was 0-3 with 20 saves, a 1.69 ERA and 45 strikeouts in 48 innings. He even earned a save in the Triple-A All-Star Game. Cabrera, who's been in pro ball since he was 18 (he was picked by Cleveland in the 10th round of the 1989 draft), split last season between Norfolk (0-0, 0.69 ERA in 11 relief appearances) and Baltimore (2-1, 5.40 ERA in 22 relief appearances). He signed a minor league free agent contract with Boston last December and has been nothing short of superb for the offensively-impaired PawSox. "It's been a tough season," understated Sauveur. "We haven't been scoring runs and he still was leading the league with 17 saves (which, as of deadline, ranked second in the I.L.). To lead the league in saves when we weren't scoring runs ... it's an amazing job that he's done. "He knows what his job is when he comes in the game no matter if it's the eighth or ninth inning. I think we're fortunate to have him here." In Cabrera's opinion, the reasons are three-fold why he's having a career year: He's more aggressive. He's enjoying the game. He's mentally tougher. "I have more confidence in my fastball now," said Cabrera, who's been clocked in the 92-to-94 range. "I attack the hitter. In the last couple of years, I changed the way I was pitching. I went to a slider when I felt I needed to and lost my confidence with the fastball. This year, I trust my fastball more and I use it. Then, I go with the other pitch. "I didn't change much mechanically but I did in terms of attacking the hitters. I went through the minors attacking the hitters, but as soon as you get to the big leagues, you change everything. "You can't do that," continued Cabrera, "because the game's going to hurt you." To put it another way, Cabrera has stopped "nibbling." Cabrera also has found a comfort zone in Pawtucket which has been lacking. "I feel really comfortable in the organization with the job I'm doing so far and the people I'm working for," he said. "That's very important. The last couple of years, I didn't have fun. Right now, I'm having fun and am enjoying what I'm doing. That's something I missed the last couple of years even when I was in the big leagues. "I finally started having fun last year in winter ball in Puerto Rico. Then, I got here in this organization and felt the same way. I like the organization because they helped me get my confidence back. That was important for me when I made my decision." The decision Cabrera referred to concerned an "out" clause in his contract which enabled him to become a free agent if he wasn't on Boston's roster by June 1. Instead of opting for free agency, Cabrera opted to remain with Pawtucket. To an extent, the Cabrera of 2009 resembles the Cabrera of 2005 when, with Buffalo he was 6-1 with three saves and a 1.23 ERA in 30 games and with Cleveland he was 2-1 with a 1.47 ERA in 30.2 innings. Given his tender age at the time, did Cabrera think the game was too easy? "I never believed in that," he said. "Mentally, I was really strong. But I got to the point where I was thinking too much ... thinking about things I couldn't control and that's what really hurt me. It didn't hurt me for one year. It hurt me for two or three years. "Every time I had a bad outing, I didn't know how to forget that. Instead, I wanted to try harder. I wanted to strike out everybody. I wanted to show the team I was ready to pitch and that I just had a bad outing. "By trying too hard, I forgot how to do thinks like getting over what happened already and that tomorrow is a new day," added Cabrera. "I didn't know how to do that and it hurt me." From a technical standpoint, Sauveur has "tweaked" only one thing with Cabrera, whose repertoire includes a fastball (which, as Sauveur says, has "late life), a slider and a changeup. "We had to have him quicker to the plate," said Sauveur. "If you watch coaches from the big leagues down to A ball, you see them with stop watches. They're timing pitchers to the plate. "When he arrived here, he was like 1.6 to almost 1.7 to the plate with a big leg kick and a long arm behind him. I told him you'll have to be quicker to the plate because Boston won't want anybody here who's not quick to the plate. That's the first thing they tell me. Make sure pitchers can hold on runners." As a result of working on that aspect, Cabrera has reduced his time to the plate to the 1.29-to-1.39 range. "That's very workable in the big leagues and at this level," said Sauveur. "He's holding runners on a lot better now and giving catchers an opportunity to throw them out." The next question is, even if Cabrera continues to pitch well, how can he squeeze his way into Boston's bullpen? Asking Cabrera is a waste of time. "It's one thing I can't control," he said. "The only thing I can control is to come to tomorrow's game, and if we're winning, try to close the game. That's the only thing that's in my hands and the only thing I'm worried about. "I can't think about what's happening in Boston or other things in the big leagues. That's something I learned to control. Before, I didn't know how to do that and maybe I got upset. I'm just glad this team is giving me a chance to play the game."

Interviews with Pawsox: Fernando Cabrera

Wed, 05 Aug 2009 12:02:00 -0500

When Daniel Bard got called up to Boston, the Pawtucket Red Sox turned to Fernando Cabrera to be their new closer. He has since turned into a dominant, lights out closer for the PawSox. Born and raised in Puerto Rico, he had spent 8 years in the minor league systems of the Indians and the Orioles. He was released by the Orioles after 2008 and signed to a minor league contract with the Sox this year. Having spent that many years in the minor leagues, he was eligible as a sixth year free agent to opt out of his contract, but liked pitching for Pawtucket and the Red Sox system so much, and having much better success this year, he decided to stay. Cabrera represented Pawtucket at the Triple A All Star Game this year and earned the save in that game as the International League beat the Pacific Coast League. He's had his ups and downs, having off years mixed in with injuries and good years, and made a couple of major league appearances since he first signed in 1999. He represented Puerto Rico in the WBC in 2006 and 2009.This year Cabrera has been quietly amassing a fantastic set of numbers. In 36 appearances and 45 innings pitched, he has earned 19 saves, allowing only 34 hits, 19 walks, and 9 earned runs, while striking out 44, limiting opposing batter's to a .209 BA, and posting a 1.80 ERA. It looks like he may finally have reached the final level before being called up to the big leagues one more time. I had a chance to speak with Cabrera after the July 27th PawSox game at McCoy Stadium in Pawtucket, RI. Not knowing beforehand if he spoke English or not, I prepared my questions in Spanish, but discovered he speaks English well, and answered them in English. I found him to be a very congenial person to speak with. I wouldn't be surprised to see him in Boston in September when the rosters expand.Q~ Was it important to you to be on the Triple A All Star Team?(¿Es importante que usted esté en el equipo de los Triple A All Stars?)A~ It is really, really important because that is a sign of recognition that you had a great season in the first half.Q~ You have good statistics this year. Are you happy this year?(Tiene usted estadísticas bueno esto ano. ¿Esta contente esto ano?)A~ I’m really happy here. I’m really happy because I’m working hard to do that. Things go well this year. I’m working hard to keep things going well this year.Q~ You wear number 38, the number of Curt Schilling. These are big shoes to fill, yes?(Tiene usted el numero treinte-ocho, el numero de Curt Schilling. Es zapatos grandes, no es?)A~ This is a number I always wear in my career, and I never thought I tried to use it because it was Curt Schilling’s number. I like that number and now here I have the opportunity to take it, so it is a number I use throughout my career in the minors, so I never have the chance to use it in the big leagues. It is a number I like to wear even in Puerto Rico... and that’s good because sometimes you feel comfortable with some [things like that], so I get the chance to wear it here.Q~ What part of your game have you been working on the most this year?(¿Qué parte de tu juego que han estado tratando de mejorar esta ano?)A~ I work a lot on the mental part, focus, and attacking the hitters. I try to attack the hitters better than I was doing in the past. It is more the mental part… that I try to do better. It works for me, I feel more mature, I feel more complete in that part. You learn more about the game, you are more able to control your emotions, control everything in your game because this is pretty much a mental game. That was the only thing I really want to work on. A lot of times you don’t know if you’re better on that, and you go to get some more experience… I can feel I’m better in that. That’s good, I’m going to keep working to get better every day.Q~ ¿Do you like The USA and Rhode Island?(¿Te gustan los Estados Unidos en general, y de Rhode Island en particular?)A~ I am here to work, so it’s not about what the city has to offer, but it’s a city I like because we can see the support from the fans. It’s a good stadium. Fenway West- The Western Home to Red Sox Nation http://www.fenwaywest.com

That was HIM?!

Tue, 14 Jul 2009 10:22:00 -0500

Do you remember last year when some reliever on the Orioles got in big trouble for "rudely" flipping the ball to manager Dave Trembley when he was being taken out?That was our very own Fernando Cabrera! Wow!See, what had happened was... Cabrera was pitching to Tampa Bay and he gave up back-to-back homers. One of them was a Ben Zobrist grand slam that maybe coulda been caught by the outfielder. The manager comes to take him out and... flip... OUT! The very naughty Cabrera apologized and was disciplined and fined. But the story doesn't end there. Cabrera was released a few days later, I guess mostly because he was pitching like crap (because the Orioles NEVER hang on to struggling pitchers). Trembley had this to say: "I think you always make evaluations based on performance first. Not everybody here is a milkshake drinker. They're not all guys that you'd want to bring home and introduce to your daughters. You understand that. But performance is the bottom line. I didn't see Fernando Cabrera fitting in on this club next year. I think we can do better. I told him I appreciated what he did, but I didn't see him making this club coming out of spring training. I think there is no substitute at any time for respect and integrity."He's a rebel and he'll never, ever be any good. I wonder if Cabrera and Rocky Cherry and Randor Bierd ever get together and reminisce about Baltimore?

Buchholz, Cabrera Named International League All-Stars

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 14:25:19 -0500

Clay Buchholz may not be getting any love from the Boston Red Sox right now but the Pawtucket Red Sox fans have been showing him the love all season long. Now he’ll get a chance to represent Pawtucket and the Red Sox in the Triple-A All-Star Game. Buchholz and PawSox closer Fernando Cabrera were named to [...]

Sox Officially sign six as Non-Roster Invitees

Tue, 27 Jan 2009 22:15:42 -0500

Within the last couple of days, the Red Sox have officially signed six players to minor league contracts and will report to Spring Training as non-roster invitees. Mostly seen as depth in case of the inevitable injury, the six players are:Fernando Cabrera (RHP): Probably has the most major-league potential of the group, the 6'4" Cabrera has very good stuff, including a low-mid 90's fastball with good sink on it and an above-average split-change. Underwent elbow surgery last year, but came back and threw well in the Puerto Rican Winter League, picking up 12 saves while only giving up 12 hits in 22.1 innings and posting a 23 K/6 BB ratio.Angel Chavez (3B): Slick fielding versatile infielder can play third, short, and second base positions very well. Decent pop from the right side.Nick Green (2B): Yet another versatile glove-first infielder that the Sox like to sign for infield depth in Pawtucket. Like Chavez, Green has decent pop for a AAA bat.Ivan Ochoa (SS): More infield depth for the PawSox. Empty batting average guy with well-below average plate-discipline. Saw brief time with the Giants last season.Chip Ambres (OF): First round pick by the Marlins back in 1998. Nice right handed bat with good power and a good eye. Spent time with the Padres last year.Carlos Maldonado (C): Defensive catcher with sub-par bat. Has struggled in limited time as a major leaguer.

Two Cabreras from the Orioles.....

Wed, 03 Dec 2008 00:13:49 -0500

It appears that the Mets are interested in two pitchers by the Cabrera. Matt Cerrone of Metsblog reported that the Mets maybe scouting Fernando Cabrera in the winter leagues. The 27 y/o right hander has only one full season in the majors out of five years in the majors between the Indians and ...