Everyone has been so curious as to what the Toronto Blue Jays first purchase would be with trade rumors lingering, but it’s now official. The Jays have acquired reliever, Genesis Cabrera from the St. Louis Cardinals who was designated for assignment on July 17th. In return, the Jays have given up minor-league prospect Sammy Hernandez.
Apparently, Cabrera was looking for a change as he was not happy in the position he was in with the Cardinals. With this move, the Jays have made room for Cabrera on their 40-man roster by designating Trent Thornton. There’s no surprise that the Jays picked up a reliever as there was major discussion about this. Was this a yay or nay move by the Jays? Let’s take a closer look at some of the pros and cons of this pickup by the Jays.
Genesis Cabrera: Pros & Cons of Jays Acquiring Him
Con: Control Issues
Genesis Cabrera was once a strong reliever posting an ERA of 2.42 when he pitched in his second season. Unfortunately, he has gone downhill and his season this year with the Cardinals has been disappointing with an ERA of 5.06. His past issues pertaining to control with pitches especially his fastball have continued to be a problem. Nonetheless, his fastball no longer provides value and success as it used to.
Pro: Cheap Bet
A positive outlook on this pickup is that the Jays didn’t spend a lot of money on acquiring him. He’s making $950,000 this season and this is just over the $720K minimum salary. So, even if it doesn’t work out as expected with Cabrera it isn’t a huge loss for the Toronto Blue Jays. Overall, it is a low-risk gamble and if up ends working out this season that is great, and if it doesn’t he will probably still be with the Jays moving forward.
Con: Not a Difference Maker
Obviously not the best move that the Jays have made as there is lots of work to be done. The Jays strong hopes of turning him from a dumpster dive to a dumpster diamond, well it can be far-fetched. It is not certain that he will be kept on the 40-man roster following this season considering he has one of the worst ERAs as a relief pitcher. While he has been known to bring energy and is characterized for having fun while playing, which would fit in with the Jays clubhouse, this is a bit of a confusing trade.
Pro: Fresh Start for Cabrera?
As mentioned, Cabrera was not happy in his role with the Cardinals and felt like he needed a fresh new start. Yes, he has had his struggles but that doesn’t mean he can’t bounce back from his adversity. This is a good opportunity for the Jays to take the time to help him transform back to his regular style with pitching.
The promise he was showing years ago can resurface as well if the Jays can help guide him with his command. The Jays also only have one left-handed reliever in their bullpen (Tim Mayza), so having Cabrera is good as a backup option. Going back to Cabrera’s pitching issues, another possible motive for Cabrera’s lack of success could also rein in the Cardinal’s pitching organization. To put it nicely, they have been unsuccessful in developing pitching.
Cabrera in Hernandez Out
Overall, the Jays acquiring Cabrera comes with both pros and cons and we will have to see how it pans out. There’s a lot of back-and-forth discussion from fans regarding this trade and while it isn’t a trade that many expected, we know that there are more trades coming. There is potential for this trade to work in the Jays favor, but if it doesn’t it isn’t that big of a loss. It will be interesting to see if the Jays can guide him back to his promising days as a pitcher.
Main Image: Peter van den Berg-USA TODAY Sports
