Some late night Blue Jays news as the Chicago White Sox have signed free agent Melky Cabrera. The switch-hitting outfielder was of course a Blue Jay in 2014 and declined a qualifying offer from the team before testing the market. This means the team will receive a draft pick at the end of the first round after losing their original first round draft pick for signing Russell Martin. Bruce Levin broke the news:
Source tells me Melky Cabrera agrees to three year deal with WhSox pending physical .
— Bruce Levine (@MLBBruceLevine) December 14, 2014
Cabrera came to the Blue Jays as a free agent before the 2013 season signing a two-year $16 million contract. The team gave him a second chance after he was suspended for a positive testosterone test during the 2012 season with the San Francisco Giants. His first year in Toronto wasn't very memorable as a variety of ailments, including a tumour, made him fairly ineffective both at the plate and (especially) in the field. Thankfully he turned it around in 2014 and posted a wRC+ of 125 and a fWAR of 2.6 despite some bad defensive numbers.
The 30-year-old was thought to be heading for a four or five-year deal, but the average annual value of this three-year contract with the White Sox is thought to be significantly higher than what was expected.
Overall his time in Toronto will be remembered as a tale of two years where he made a horrible first impression and then earned nearly the entirety of his contract in the second year. It would have been nice to have him back in Toronto for a few more years, but the team went in a different direction and gained a pick from it.
from Bluebird Banter - All Posts
