BRADENTON, Fla. -- Erik Gonzalez did not need to ponder the question for very long.
“Do you think Melky Cabrera can help the Pirates?” I asked Gonzalez, who is competing with rookie Kevin Newman for the starting shortstop job during spring training.
“Of course, he can. A lot,” Gonzalez said with a smile. “He is an outstanding hitter. He can still hit for average. He can still hit for power. He can still play in the outfield, He can do a lot of things to help this team win. I’m very excited he’s with the Pirates now.”
The Pirates signed Cabrera to a minor-league contract Feb. 11 and invited the 14-year veteran to major-league camp.
Gonzalez and Cabrera were teammates last season with the Indians as the 34-year-old hit .280/.335/.420 with six home runs in 78 games and 278 plate appearances to help Cleveland win its third straight American League Central title.
Gonzalez says Cabrera brings added value because of his experience.
“I learned a lot from him last year,” Gonzalez said. “He is a veteran. He has been in the game a long time and he is a professional. He was very helpful to me and he’s very helpful to all the young players with the advice he gives you. We have a lot of young guys here who are still learning to play in the big leagues. They can learn a lot from watching Melky. Watching the way that he prepares, watching the way he plays the game.”
Cabrera is quiet by nature and you can barely notice he is around the clubhouse. Despite his years of experience, he is still uncomfortable speaking English publicly.
Yet no one needs to talk to Cabrera to see the professionalism he brings. During the first week of full-squad workouts, Cabrera has been hitting the ball with authority during batting practice and looks like a good bet to make the opening-day roster despite his non-roster status.
As Clint Hurdle said, “Melky knows how to hit. He’s not a guy I have to worry about.”
A scout from a National League team who watched Cabrera extensively with the Indians concurs with the assessments of Gonzalez and Hurdle.
“Melky will still be hitting line drives when he’s 50,” the scout said. “He’s not the same player he once was. He’s older and he doesn’t run as well as he used to or play defense as well as he used to. But he can still hit – he’ll always hit – enough to help a team. You don’t build your lineup around him, but he is still a good complementary player.”
The Pirates aren’t looking for 500 plate appearances from Cabrera, who is a lifetime .286/.335/.418 hitter. The switch-hitter is competing with Lonnie Chisenhall – they could also wind up in a platoon – to play right field while Gregory Polanco recovers from shoulder surgery.
Ironically, Cabrera took over as the Indians’ right fielder last year when Chisenhall was limited to 29 games because of injuries to both calves.
Once Polanco returns, the Pirates will have a set outfield as he will join Corey Dickerson and Starling Marte. However, Cabrera could remain with the Pirates to provide a veteran bat off the bench while occasionally spelling Dickerson or Polanco on the outfield corners.
“If Melky plays to the best of his ability and Lonnie plays to the best of his ability, it will be interesting to see where they can take it,” Hurdle said. “Melky provides us with a bat on both sides of the plate. The fight in the box has been real throughout his career. And his ability to go play both corners can provide valuable experience, as well, and more depth.”
After sitting on the free-agent market all offseason, Cabrera said he is “thankful for the opportunity” and knows he is in no position to dictate playing time.
“I’m at the disposition of just whatever the team wants, whatever is best to help this team win,” Cabrera said in Spanish through team interpreter Mike Gonzalez. “My goal is to do whatever the team needs to help the team win. Whatever they need from me, wherever they want me to play, that’s what I’ll do. I just want to help the team win.”
Cabrera will have a $1.15-million salary if placed on the major-league roster and the opportunity to make $850,000 in performance bonuses. Neal Huntington believes Cabrera has a very good chance of being with the Pirates when they open the season against the Reds on March 28 at Cincinnati.
“He provides some veteran presence in the position player group and a guy that can still hit at the major-league level,” Huntington said.
It would be only fitting if Cabrera did make it to the regular season with the Pirates.
At the 2006 Winter Meetings, then-Pirates GM Dave Littlefield tried hard to acquire Cabrera from the Yankees in a trade. However, the teams could not reach an agreement and Littlefield instead dealt for Braves first baseman Adam LaRoche.
I asked Cabrera what took him so long to get to the Pirates, and he laughed.
“I don’t know anything about the (potential) trade,” he said. “I’m here now. And I’m excited.”