Pittsburgh Pirates Free Agent Target: Asdrubal Cabrera

Could a veteran infielder be an offseason free agent target for the Pittsburgh Pirates?

With MLB’s free agency set to kick into high gear on Sunday, the Pittsburgh Pirates are preparing to look for infield help. While the team seems prepared to enter 2019 with Colin Moran at third base and Adam Frazier at second, the team needs to figure out shortstop while also adding a quality backup to Moran and Frazier.

Could veteran Asdrubal Cabrera be the answer? Ben Reiter of Sports Illustrated thinks so. Yesterday, Reiter ranked MLB’s 50 best free agents with their best fit spot and he listed the Pirates as the best fit for the 32-year-old Cabrera.

Cabrera would bring one of Clint Hurdle‘s favorite things to Pittsburgh – positional flexibility. The veteran infielder can play third base, shortstop, or second base, which would allow him to fill a variety of roles for the Pirates.

While he can still hit, the big issue with Cabrera at this point of his career is his defense. The past two seasons he is responsible for -23 defensive runs saved (DRS) at second base, 0 at third base, and -13 at shortstop. That said, Cabrera, barring injury to Adam Frazier, would primarily be used at third base/shortstop by the Pirates. He is a league average defender at third base, and, while below league average, still an upgrade over Jordy Mercer defensive at shortstop.

In 2018 Cabrera played for both the New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies. Between the two teams he combined to slash .262/.316/.458 to go with 23 home runs, a .196 ISO, .332 wOBA, 111 wRC+, and an extra-base hit rate of 10.1%. While Cabrera struggles with getting on base, he still brings plus power to the table.

The Pirate lineup is in need of a power boost, and Cabrera could help provide this boost. He also would not have to play every day in Pittsburgh due to Moran, Frazier, and Kevin Newman, and at this point in his career that would likely benefit Cabrera.

Ultimately, the Pirates will have to decide if they would rather add a shortstop that is glove first or bat first player. If they decide bat first, Cabrera could be an option. That said, they could add Cabrera as a utility infielder, while also adding another shortstop via free agency or trade.