It’s a big release day today because if players without guaranteed contracts are cut today they can be disposed of with 30-days’ termination pay as opposed to a full year’s salary. That may have had something to do with Elijah Dukes’ thing, of course. It’s also why the White Sox just cut Daniel Cabrera.
Daniel Cabrera is not a significant figure in baseball history, but he’s one that I’ve spent more time thinking about than I probably should have. That’s what happens when you’re a pitching junkie like I am and you encounter a guy with outrageously good stuff but who has no idea where the ball is going. I had figured that maybe he’d have a shot to make a team now that he’s on board with becoming a reliever, but it’s just not happening. Probably never should have figured it would.
Mid-90s fastball, great raw stuff, and all he has to show for it is a 48-64 record and 5.10 ERA
in 154 career starts. Pitching is hard.
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- Charles Gates - Mar 17, 2010 at 3:35 PM
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Cabrera was always the big ‘what if’ for us O’s fans.
He’d go 6 IP, 1 ER, 2 BB, 9K, then go 2 IP, 6 ER, 5 BB, 3 K the start after.
recaptcha: secrecy general
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- Darryl - Mar 17, 2010 at 3:49 PM
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Yes, it is.
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- lar @ wezen-ball - Mar 17, 2010 at 4:06 PM
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Daniel Cabrera through age 28 season: 155 GS, 48-65, 88 ERA+, 6.8 k/9, 5.2 bb/9
Randy Johnson through age 28 season: 129 GS, 49-48, 101 ERA+, 9.0 k/9, 5.7 bb/9
Johnson’s clearly better – and when you compare their h/9 (7.1 vs 8.9) the wildness is even more obvious – but those numbers aren’t insanely different. Now, it’s highly unlikely that Daniel Cabrera is Randy Johnson – mostly because it’s highly unlikely that Randy Johnson was Randy Johnson – but I don’t think we’ve come to the point where we can completely give up on Cabrera. His shrinking k/9 numbers are troubling, though.
In a world where Sidney Ponson can continue to pitch for 12 big league seasons, I hope Cabrera can keep learning and trying…
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- Curious George - Mar 17, 2010 at 4:31 PM
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Paging Dr. Dave Duncan…
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- Jeff V. - Mar 17, 2010 at 5:54 PM
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@lar @ wezen-ball:
Except that Cabrera has seen his velocity drop substantially the last few seasons. If he could still fire the ball at 94-96 someone would be giving him a shot right now.
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- Andy II - Mar 17, 2010 at 6:51 PM
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Rick Peterson could fix Daniel Cabrera in ten minutes.
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- Grant - Mar 18, 2010 at 8:10 AM
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Daniel Cabrera isn’t the next Randy Johnson. He’s the next (or current) Sidney Ponson. Ex-Oriole headcases with good stuff and bad attitudes.
No love lost here.
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- Kerri - Apr 1, 2010 at 12:43 PM
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As an O’s fan i have always wished Cabrera would get his pitching under control. If he would have he would have been deadly!! I did enjoy watching him picth when he was on his game. I have to say it was pretty awesome. But it got very frustrating when he was off his game. I wish him the best in hopes he gets with another team and gets the training he needs, maybe it’s too late, but better late then never.
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- mm318 - Apr 5, 2010 at 1:56 AM
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Well, he was worth his weight in gold when it came to the Yankees. I think the O’s should re-sign him, and just call him up to pitch against the Yankees. He destroyed them!
