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Courtesy: Fox Sports
Everth Cabrera is in his first season with the Baltimore Orioles. and the first time that he will play for an MLB team outside the San Diego Padres. He was selected in the Rule 5 draft from the Colorado Rockies organization in 2008 and saw moderate success during his stint on the west coast. He will now have a chance for the starting second base job with the Baltimore Orioles.
Everth Cabrera had fallen out of favor in San Diego due to his declining production on the field and a recent PED suspension. In 2013 he was last an All-Star. But in his 6 seasons playing in San Diego, he never had another good offensive player or players around him. He is primarily a lead-off hitter and someone who adds a speed element on the base path. Everth Cabrera is not a power hitter or a run producer, so it is not his fault for having sub-par numbers offensively. The San Diego Padres also play their home games in a pitcher friendly park, that make it tough for extra base hits.
Courtesy: Baltimore Sun
While in San Diego Everth Cabrera was their starting shortstop, but the Baltimore Orioles already have a 2 time All-Star and 3 time Gold Glove player in J.J. Hardy. For the first time in four years he will play from the right side of the infield. For some players this could be a hard transition, but he has taken a positive approach to it. To his benefit, Everth Cabrera is playing for a team that has begun to show that it can be a perennial playoff team and one that could be on the verge of winning a World Series Title. Buck Showalter has brought that winning culture back to a once proud franchise.
For the Baltimore Orioles, Everth Cabrera could be the lead-off hitter, with his ability to steal bases and score runs. In his 6 seasons in San Diego his lowest total for stolen bases was 10, but in that season he played just 76 games. In 2011 he did only steal 2 bases, but in that season he got injured and only played 2 games. His career On-Base Percentage (OBP) is .319 and his career On-Base Plus Slugging (OPS) is .652, both of which above average for the Baltimore Orioles production for the past couple seasons.
Courtesy: Fox Sports
He also fits well into the team’s defensive-oriented philosophy, as Everth Cabrera is a very good fielder. In the few games that he has played second base, he has been perfect with a career Fielding Percentage (FPCT) of 1.000. While his career FPCT for him playing in the field is .967, which is really good for an everyday player who has played 5 full seasons.
Besides all of the stats that are in his favor, Everth Cabrera is on a team that has a lot of offensive power. He gets to hit in front of the likes of Adam Jones, Matt Wieters, Manny Machado, and Chris Davis. His playing skills and style suit him to be a good lead-off hitter and the Baltimore Orioles have been missing that kind of player since the days of Roberto Alomar Jr. and Brady Anderson. Granted Nick Markakis was a decent lead-off hitter for them in the past few seasons, but his lack of speed suited better for the number 2 slot in the order.
Though he is battling the up-and-coming Jonathan Schoop for that starting spot, Everth Cabrera would be an excellent fit in the field and the lineup for this roster. Only time will if will take over as the everyday second baseman, or if he even breaks camp with the big-league club. But Everth Cabrera’s fresh start could be mutually beneficial for the team and player in the near future.
