JULY 1: Cabrera can earn at a $1.1MM annual rate if he makes the roster, Jon Heyman of MLB Network tweets.
JUNE 29: The Mets’ signing spree continued Monday with the additions of outfielder Melky Cabrera, infielder Gordon Beckham and right-hander Erasmo Ramirez. All three have been announced by the club, and all are “expected” to be added to the 60-man player pool, according to the team. They join earlier signees Hunter Strickland and Ryan Cordell in that regard.
At 35 years old, Cabrera isn’t the hitter he once was. That said, the Melk Man also hasn’t batted lower than .273 in the past decade, and his contact skills generally make him a source of a respectable OBP even though he doesn’t walk much.
The switch-hitting Cabrera’s .280/.313/.399 slash with the Pirates last year was below-average on the whole (88 OPS+, 85 wRC+), but he was an average or better hitter in the three preceding seasons. Cabrera carried an .807 OPS into the All-Star break last year, but he hit just .231/.257/.306 down the stretch as his role shrunk. To his credit, he struck out at just a 10.3 percent clip in 2019. He’s no lock to make the roster, but if he can shake off last year’s second-half slide, the Mets could conceivably work him into the DH mix and not need to worry about his glove.
Beckham, 33, inked a minor league pact with the Padres in February but had a rough showing in their initial camp that led to his release. Although he drew five walks, Beckham was hitless in 14 at-bats. He spent the 2019 campaign with the Tigers, hitting .215/.271/.372 with six homers, a dozen doubles and a pair of triples in 240 trips to the plate.
Beckham made his big league debut just one year after being selected with the No. 8 overall pick in the 2008 draft by the White Sox. He wasn’t able to replicate a strong rookie campaign, though, and eventually settled in as a journeyman utility infielder. He’s appeared in the big leagues each year since 2009, but Beckham carries a tepid .237/.300/.367 slash in 3782 plate appearances as a big leaguer.
Ramirez, 30, was a quality arm with the Mariners and Rays from 2015-17, pitching to a combined 3.97 ERA (4.22 FIP) with 7.0 K/9, 2.3 BB/9 and 1.2 HR/9 in 385 1/3 big league innings. A teres major strain wiped out most of his 2018 season, though, and Ramirez has yet to really regain his footing. He spent the 2019 season with the Red Sox’ Triple-A affiliate, for whom he posted a 4.74 ERA with 6.8 K/9 and 3.1 BB/9 in 125 1/3 innings.
Cabrera is a solid reserve option, but Beckham? amazing this guy can still get jobs.
Agreed
Beckham is an excellent defender who plays hard the right way. His struggles at the plate are obvious, but there are quite a few players like him who continue to be valued by clubs around the league. Good luck to him with the Mets.
Same ole Mets. They bring in Cabrera to join with Cano in hopes that they’ll have a silent culture of “helping” teammates improve – although not naturally. This was the same move they did when they brought in Fernando Tatis who was tied to PEDs and all of the sudden, his “leadership” led to Jose Reyes, Carlos Delgado and Carlos Beltran being among several Mets during that time that started going to Anthony Galea after MLB banned all MLB players from openly going to Angel Presinal for his “training techniques”. I wonder which Mets will start gaining from Cano and Cabrera’s “leadeship” the same way many gained from Fernando Tatis’?
Let me guess the excuse once caught: “I felt COVID symptoms, so I used something that someone gave me without knowing what it was.”
It’s better than snorting coke and killing innocent people on a boat, but whatever.
Hope you enjoy watching your 21 win season in 2020.
Oh, I clearly struck a nerve.
Don’t be upset at me. And don’t be upset at the Mets. They needed to do something like this since they had to fire their manager before he even had a chance to “help” the Mets with the “leadership” he used when the Astros won their championship.
And as for the shot at Fernandez, Dwight Gooden and Darryle Strawberry and several other Mets of the 1980s were just lucky enough to have had the same fates…considering they had the same problem.
typo…Dwight Gooden, Darryl Strawberry and several other Mets of the 1980s were just lucky enough to NOT have the same fates as Fernandez…considering they had the same problem.
Maybe if Fernandez lived to an older age, he would have had a failed career half way through, or won championship rings that he tried to sell, or disappeared from teams until reported as missing (a couple of Mets did this), end up in prison, got caught up in a public drug trial, become a coach or manager and show up intoxicated to games or purposely get kicked out of games to get loaded in the parking lot, throw fireworks at fans in a parking lot, etc. actions. Of course Mets players are perfect and never been involved with substances that would have had them do anything like any of these.
Struck a nerve? Who struck your nerve? Did the Mets kick your puppy or something? Yeesh. Broken record. Day in day out.
Broken record? Mets fans are a broken record.
Every year…
– This prospect is a stud.
– This manager is the answer.
– This GM is the savior.
– This team is a championship contender.
– This pitching staff is one of the best ever.
Then after reality sets in…
– Trade this guy and that guy.
– We are not reaching our “potential” (guys in their prime years who already peaked and leveled off).
– Fire the manager. Bring in Wally Backman (even though he’s got issues).
– Sell the team!
– Fire the GM!
– Fire the trainer and medical staff!
– We’ll get the missing piece.
– This stud player will absolutely sign with the Mets because everyone wants to play in NY.
– Let’s trade our garbage for All Stars in their primes because those are fair deals.
– These offseason additions are great and we’re championship contenders for sure next season.
Wash…rinse…repeat…
Ok but your problem is with some generic Met fan’s nonsense, why are you always yelling it at us? And you’re not exactly disproving the idea that you’re the one with the unhealthy obsession by writing all that. My point was it’s odd for you to be asking someone what the bug up their butt is when you’ve got the same one up yours every. single. day! Plus, you got a few straw men in there… I’ve never heard a Met fan claim that everyone wants to play for them, usually quite the opposite.
Oh a Marlins fan is talking trash.
Gee, I suppose you’re one of the 4,831 fans in the stands on a Saturday night, having your hotdog repeat on you while watching a 100 loss team.
When Jeter sells the team you could relocate to Charlotte to watch them.
I don’t eat hotdogs and I think Mets fans have more experience in 100-loss seasons. You surely have a monopoly on disappointment.
21 losing seasons over your 28 year ‘history’.
Goodnight!!
Mets have one 100 loss season the last 50 years. Marlins?
Uh, why are you limiting it to 50 years when the Mets have been around for 59 years?
1986…Good night!
Lmao the 2009 solid role players club
I mean they are here to be 5th OFrs at best. What’s wrong with that?
The Mets are active today signing a lot of players. This is great by the Mets signing Cabrera and Ramirez.
Are the Mets shopping from the Yankees scrap pile. Melky, Eduardo Nunez, Bentances. I think the Mets should sign Johnny Damon next.
And immediately trade for Refsnyder…..
Betances is a great signing, I wouldn’t care that a “scrap pile” guy. The rest just happened to have quick stops with the Yankees and like 10 other teams so your statement can be made for any number of teams… Yankee fans are always fishing for compliments ugghh
to be honest it’s better to take a good team’s scraps than a bad team’s scraps
since the yankees sign virtually all mlb players in their eagerness to win , its no wonder any player signed by other teams has passed trough the yankee roster.
…yes, but no deal for Ed Whitson.
IF this season is played, all teams are going to need vets like this who can step in and know their roles, not needing a lot of time to get up to speed if called upon.
Bartolo, wherefore art thou?
Cabrera has not been the same hitter since he was buster for peds
The only blessing for the Mets is getting to play Cano another former Yankee at DH and let McNeil play everyday at second. JD Davis at third and hopefully Cespedes is back healthy.
if cespedes is healthy he’s gonna DH 90% of games, noway he plays the OF.
They said Céspedes is going to be ready for the start of the season.
I hope you said “buster for peds “ cause Buster won the batting championship cause he got busted
Yeah, but he has had some seasons since then where he did hit well.
If Gordon Beckham was named Juan Ramirez, he would have been out of baseball 5 years ago.
Who is Juan Ramirez?
No one. That’s the point, Latin American players do not get the same chances as the white Johnny Hustle players types. There is a deep systematic racism in baseball as well.. Some executives are aware of this and do nothing.
Here is more information bostonglobe.com/2020/06/10/sports/how-racial-bias-…
Here comes OF backups.
What team was Melky with when he was suspended for banned substance, Giants?
Old google will tell you!
Every team in MLB will lose active time of a bunch of players due to covid; guys who can sit on the 60 man roster and maybe turn out to be lightning in a bottle for 30 days have value…
Beckham has a better chance of being struck by that lightning than hitting 250+. No lightning in a bottle there my friend. He hasn’t finished a season hitting over .250 since 2013 or 2014. That guy couldn’t get a job as a dog catcher. I wouldn’t even let that guy carry my luggage to my room. He Couldn’t get a job picking up rubbers in a third world country brother house. Smh…… Beckham.
Brothel *
Mets are struggling
How does Gordon Beckham keep getting chances despite the fact that his rookie year was the only season when he hit well?