CABRERA TO START FOR NY YANKEES TONIGHT CF Began Season With Thunder…
(Trenton, NJ)- The Trenton Thunder, the Double-A Affiliate of the New York Yankees, have announced that Melky Cabrera, who began the 2005 season with the Thunder, has been promoted to the New York Yankees and is scheduled to start tonight against Cleveland.
Cabrera was the Opening Day centerfielder in Trenton where he batted .267 with 9 HR and 44 RBI in 75 games. He holds a share of the longest hitting streak for the Thunder this season- nine games. While with the Thunder, the 20-year-old was named to the XM Satellite Radio All-Star "Futures Game" on Sunday, July 10th at Comerica Park in Detroit, MI.
On June 28, Cabrera was promoted to AAA Columbus where he batted .324 with 3 HR and 11 RBI in 9 games.
Cabrera is in his 4th professional season since being signed as a non-drafted free agent (11/13/01) by the Yankees.
If a man dwells on the past, then he robs the present.
But if a man ignores the past, he may rob the future.
The seeds of our destiny are nurtured by the roots of our past.
[i]-- Master Po[/i]
Hm...impressive numbers for AAA, but the tiny sample size pretty much invalidates them, since he could have just been on a hot streak. I'm not familiar with him, does he project as major-league material or what?
WharfRat wrote:Hm...impressive numbers for AAA, but the tiny sample size pretty much invalidates them, since he could have just been on a hot streak. I'm not familiar with him, does he project as major-league material or what?
Absolutely. He's only 20 though, so this really is a feast or famine move.
That is - if he's successful, then it puts the Yankees in a better position at the trading deadline - as in, "We're no longer desperate"
However, if he struggles, and it gets into his head, he loses trade value, and the Yankees lose their position for a trade, resulting in typical over-paying.
He may have been called up at the request of another team (OAK?) as well.
here's some scouting reports:
FARM REPORT
Lack of plate discipline clouds Melky way
With the non-waiver trade deadline 30 days away, the Yankees earlier this week promoted the best position player currently in their minor-league system, moving 20-year-old centerfielder Melky Cabrera to Triple-A Columbus.
Cabrera's manager at Double-A Trenton, Bill Masse, said he needs work on pitch selection. His best hitting tool might be hand-eye coordination, but it also plays to his greatest flaw.
"The thing about Melky is, he has such hand-eye coordination that if there's a fastball up around his chin, he can still hit," Masse said yesterday. "And if there is a breaking ball that bounces in the dirt before the plate, he may hit that, too."
Cabrera apparently saw something he liked last night, hitting an eighth-inning grand slam to beat the Richmond Braves.
Once Cabrera improves his pitch selection, Masse said he will hit for average. In 75 games at Trenton, Cabrera was 81-for-303 (.267) with nine home runs and 44 RBIs.
Masse added that Cabrera made great strides in the field, especially with his first step. In baseball terms, he said Cabrera has a "plus arm," "plus range" and "plus speed."
Cabrera is on the move, having been promoted to Triple-A Columbus after hitting .272 with nine homers and 42 RBIs at Double-A Trenton. The move seems to be working as Cabrera is batting .385 (8-for-21) with three homers and seven RBI in his first six games with the Clippers. One of the Yankees top outfield prospects, the club may be accelerating Cabrera's development considering some of the problems they've had in the outfield in The Bronx.
Whether that means Cabrera actually makes it to New York this season remains to be seen. It would seem highly unlikely but injuries and age have left the Yankees outfield vulnerable and the club has promoted from within with a greater frequency this season than in the past.
Cabrera has good gap power and appears to be an average to above average center fielder, a position at which the Yanks have had problems with this season.
If a man dwells on the past, then he robs the present.
But if a man ignores the past, he may rob the future.
The seeds of our destiny are nurtured by the roots of our past.
[i]-- Master Po[/i]
Background: Cabrera signed for $175,000 in 2001 and has quickly developed into one of the organization's better hitters. He was slated to appear in the Midwest League’s midseason all-star game before getting a promotion to high Class A, where he showed the best power of his career.
Strengths: Cabrera’s swing and hand-eye coordination make him the best hitter for average in the system. One club official compared his offensive game to Jose Vidro's. Cabrera has a quick stroke from both sides of the plate, with quick hands that allow him to catch up to quality fastballs. He also punishes breaking balls and lashes line drives from gap to gap. He has an above-average throwing arm.
Weaknesses: An average runner, Cabrera projects as no more than an average defender in center field. There's some thought that as he matures physically and slows down, he'll have to move to an outfield corner. His approach and swing are geared more toward line drives and contact, so he doesn't profile as well on a corner.
The Future: The Yankees have time to figure out where Cabrera fits. His advanced approach will enable him to begin 2005 in Double-A at age 20.
If a man dwells on the past, then he robs the present.
But if a man ignores the past, he may rob the future.
The seeds of our destiny are nurtured by the roots of our past.
[i]-- Master Po[/i]
Weaknesses: An average runner, Cabrera projects as no more than an average defender in center field. There's some thought that as he matures physically and slows down, he'll have to move to an outfield corner. His approach and swing are geared more toward line drives and contact, so he doesn't profile as well on a corner.
Send this to Michael Kay. I could of sworn he was just praising his defensive skills.
Cabrera's AA coach said "Cabrera will project out to 25 HR and he will absolutely win a batting title." When asked if the Yanks should trade him for a Kotsay or Encarnacion, his response "Stop. I wouldn't trade him for anyone. This is a can't miss prospect."
And he's supposed to be phenominal at hitting breaking balls.
All this talk of youth is almost too good to be true. For years now people have been bashing the Yankee's farm system and management for trading away talent.
I am like the promise of these young guys. I was at the game tonight and Melky got his fist "big" hit. The crowd was lovin it. I am convinced Cano and Wang are the real deal and if two of the three prospects (Melky, Duncan , or Hughes) mature into everyday players all of a sudden the Yanks have a solid nucleus of young players to buikd around.
Imagine how much they could pay someone when three or four everyday players are making the minimum.
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by rmeesig » Thu Jul 07, 2005 11:58 am 
