OnlyBucs

The Pirates have signed Melky Cabrera on a minor league contract

The Melk Man!

The Pirates have always excelled at acquiring "name" players at the end of their careers:



Amos Otis, George Hendrick, Sixto Lezcano, Kirk Gibson, Lonnie Smith, Lance Parrish, Derek Bell, Raul Mondesi, Chris Stynes, Benito Santiago, Jeromy Burnitz, Joe Randa, Doug Mientkiewicz, Derrek Lee, Rod Barajas, Clint Barmes. That doesn't include pitchers. On the bright side, in another 10 years they will sign both Harper and Machado!

Melky can still hit some. Defense is a negative. Perhaps a platoon partner with Chisenhall until Polanco returns. Maybe he can handle our small right field?

012C21303726317172430 wrote: The Pirates have always excelled at acquiring "name" players at the end of their careers:



Amos Otis, George Hendrick, Sixto Lezcano, Kirk Gibson, Lonnie Smith, Lance Parrish, Derek Bell, Raul Mondesi, Chris Stynes, Benito Santiago, Jeromy Burnitz, Joe Randa, Doug Mientkiewicz, Derrek Lee, Rod Barajas, Clint Barmes. That doesn't include pitchers. On the bright side, in another 10 years they will sign both Harper and Machado!


The early 200s were weird. It seemed like every year Littlefield would offer some over the hill vet a one year contract strictly for PR purposes. "Hey, you guys have hear of Kenny Lofton right? He's a Pirate now!"

I like the idea of the veteran coming off the bench rather than a young player who has had very little experience doing that. If the Bucs carry 12 pitchers their bench for each game could be the following players.  Cervelli/ Diaz, Moran/ Kang, Newman/ Gonzalez, Reyes and Cabrera. I would be satisfied with that bench as it now stands. When Polanco returns I would assume Reyes or Newman would return to Indy, and Chisenhall would join the bench. That bench is much better.

Melky can still swing a decent bat as he hit around .280 last season. So I think it has a chance to maybe be a decent signing but I also wouldn’t hold my breath either.

I would rather have Osuna as the RH platoon with Chisenhall

I think there are many fans who will assume the Bucs have signed a player who is on the decline in Cabrera who is 32. He has been a decent hitter the past couple of seasons,but his defense is below average. As a reminder in August of 2013 the Pirates acquired a 36 year old outfielder who still could hit, and his defense was below average. Marlon Byrd helped the Bucs down the stretch in 2013, and hit a huge homer in the Wild Card Game. Maybe Cabrera can do the same in 2019.

6A474A5B5C4D5A1A19280 wrote: On the bright side, in another 10 years they will sign both Harper and Machado!


That's after they bring Cutch back in five years and make a deadline deal to acquire Mike Trout in eight.