FanPost

Should the Cubs Target Melky Cabrera in the Offseason?

I thought about asking this somewhere else, but I think it can generate enough discussion as a FanPost.

Even though there's a lot of season left, the fact that the Cubs are again well out of contention and have already moved their top two likely trade chips has a lot of us discussing what moves they should pursue in the offseason. Most of the chatter surrounds landing a top of the rotation arm, but with the amount of money the Cubs have available to spend (theoretically), it stands to reason that they may want to upgrade at a couple of offensive positions, as well.

Which brings me to my question: Should the Cubs target Melky Cabrera in the offseason?

With guys like Bonifacio, Ruggiano, and Schierholtz coming off the books and the prospects (as much as we love them!) not likely to all compete at a high level right out of the gate, the Cubs may want to look at a stabilizing veteran presence in the outfield. I don't know if it's because of the PED scandal of a few years back or a reputation for being injury-prone, but Melky doesn't seem to get a lot of coverage when these discussions pop up.

That said, Cabrera is a career .286 hitter and he walks at a decent clip (7.2% career rate) for a guy who's a slap-hitter. Perhaps most intriguingly, he seems to have rediscovered a bit of his power stroke that he had during his best years in 2011/2012. Some may question if he's back on the juice, but I'd guess he has a closer microscope on him after his previous bust and isn't risking it. If he has indeed gotten some of that power back, he could be even more productive in Wrigley. He has a .307/.354/.464 triple slash line on the season. This seems to me like it would play pretty well at the top of the Cubs anemic lineup.

By pretty much all accounts, he's a defensive liability but the smaller dimensions in left field at Wrigley may help mitigate some of that. Maybe he doesn't fit into Theo and Jed's mold as a slap hitter that plays poor defense. But I still think he's a pretty intriguing option. If the Jays actually make it into the play-offs they may look to extend him with a new contract, but if he hits the market he can likely be had in the $12-$14 million range. I think that's worth a long, hard look for a club with such a terrible offense and with gobs of extra money to spend.

What does everyone else think? Do you like the upside? Too many potential drawbacks? If you don't like him, what options do you prefer?

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