May 16, 2012

Cleveland Indians Sign SS Asdrubal Cabrera for One Year, $4.55 Million

February 10, 2012 By 23 Comments

With the player’s arbitration day looming, the Cleveland Indians have signed shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera to a one-year contract worth $4.55 million.

The Indians were reportedly in talks with Cabrera for a multi-year deal, but apparently could not lock up the 2011 Silver Slugger winner beyond his current club control status. Cabrera had reportedly asked for $5.2 million with the team originally offering $3.75 million. The 26-year-old glovesman, who started for the American League in the 2011 All-Star Game, hit .273 with 25 home runs and 92 RBIs in 151 games for the Indians last season

Having avoided arbitration since 1991 with Greg Swindell and Jerry Browne, the Indians successfully signed all seven eligible players before the start of the 2012 MLB season, increasing their combined compensation by 98.8 percent year-over-year. Pitchers and catchers are set to report to Goodyear, Arizona in ten days.

The Indians presently have zero players under contract beyond 2012.

[Related: Tribe Offseason Review and What Happens After 2013?]

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  • http://profiles.google.com/exander05 Alex Mathews

    Well…at least that’s done with. The Indians REALLY need to contend this year, or else we’re starting from scratch again.

  • Harv 21

    and … the Arbitration Allergy lives on.

    But this is eerie, zero contractual obligations after 2012. That ain’t no coincidink and cannot be done without a careful plan. Not a single veteran worthy of a guaranteed money risk past 2012? Hmmm … Something is up. In any case, that window is closing.

  • TMan

    so ”
    The Indians presently have zero players under contract beyond 2012.” is a real thing, like 0 players are under contract after this year? That’s incredible

  • architrance

    “The Indians presently have zero players under contract beyond 2012.”

    !

    How is that possible!?

  • http://twitter.com/oribiasi oribiasi

    It’s really shaping up like a bad future for our beloved Tribe.  Everyone will be jumping ship after this season.  I see the bad moon a’risin.

  • Anonymous

    we have control of alot of young guys through arbitration, but they don’t technically count (we can not offer it to them)

    all the vets we signed are through this year or on 1 year deals

  • Anonymous

    what player are you afraid of losing after this season?

    Hafner – it’s more salary relief than anything
    Fausto/Roberto – if he can even get a work visa
    Sizemore – if he can even stay healthy

    that’s all that we have to worry about as we ‘control’ everyone else:
    https://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=0Ah4PW47PiAi-dE9rSFBuTHVDNW1RMS0wQ3hlcHdFSUE&output=html

  • Matt S

     Because anyone on minimum contracts (most of the team) or arbitration deals (a good chunk of the team), is signed year-by-year. They’re still under club control, they just aren’t assured a contract.

    Worth noting, though, that the Indians could have up to 14 players eligible for arbitration next year, including 6 guys going for the first time (Marson, LaPorta, Sipp, and Duncan, with Cunningham and Brantley being super 2 eligible). Which, combined with the raises that will be due to the other 8 guys going through it again, will probably cost around around what Hafner is making this year. So… don’t get any big ideas about free agency.

    Also, a few people have speculated that the zero contract thing might be a way to make the team more attractive to a potential buyer. Food for thought.

  • Steve

     The careful plan has adjusted from locking up the youngsters early to being much more willing to let them hit arbitration. The vast majority of the roster is under team control through 2014, with guys like Choo and Cabrera (who they have tried to negotiate extensions) coming off the books after 2013. I’m really not seeing this conspiracy theory that other people are.

  • Anonymous

    Do you have anything positive to say…..ever?

  • Anonymous

    Well Cabrera will be free to leave won’t he?  He asked for $5.2 and the best the Indians could offer was $3.75?  The fact he received $4.55 tells me what he was seeking was more in line then what the Indians offered.  This is getting old.

  • AMC

    Cabrera will not be free to leave.  Unless the Indians sign him to a long term deal before the end of the season, he will be eligible to go to arbitration again for the 2013 season.  After the 2013 season he becomes a free agent.

  • Anonymous

    Wished they could have locked him up for at least the next 3 years. Is this something that’s unheard of as far as the zero players under contract post-2012? Could Dolans perhaps be looking to sell after this season? Whatever the case is, its really strange.

  • Anonymous

    $4.5 is halfway between what was asked and what was offered.  this is pretty standard in negotations during arbitration.

  • Anonymous

    I didn’t realize how little people understand arbitration until today.  I need to repost every article I’ve ever written on the subject.  Which is depressing, because there’s like 30 of them floating around out there.

    Yes, the Indians have no players on Major League contracts after 2012.  They will still own the rights to every player on the roster other than Hafner, Sizemore, Carmona, and Lowe.  That’s about $30 million coming off the books after this season, mostly for mediocre players we probably will be happy to be rid of.

    FREEING UP THAT MONEY IS AN INHERENTLY GOOD THING.  We’ve waited forever to be out from under the weight of Hafner’s deal, and now people are angry we didn’t sign him for longer?  Me confused.

  • Anonymous

    that being said, I wouldn’t mind signing Hafner to a 1year deal for 2013 for $3-4mil.  he does produce in many of the games he is actually healthy enough to play in.

  • Anonymous

    That’s a totally fair idea.  But isn’t it great to be able to make that decision after this season plays out rather than locking it in now?  Have more flexibility seems to me a great thing.  Twitter just really traumatized me today, I guess…

  • Anonymous

    yes, I meant in the next offseason.   and yes, I avoid twitter for just such reasons. 

    thankfully, I have you guys here at WFNY to be my filter :)

  • Anonymous

    We can only hope that Dolan is considering selling the team.  I’ll be dancing in the streets if or when it comes true.

  • Anonymous

    and then the next owner will likely run the team nearly the same and/or move the team from Cleveland. 

  • Jaker

    “The Indians presently have zero players under contract beyond 2012.”
    This is a problem. Start signing some guys to long term contracts, starting with Masterson. WHERE IS DAN GILBERT TO BUY A TEAM WHEN YOU NEED HIM?!?!?

  • Anonymous

    not really a problem.  we have control of our young players.  yeah, it’d be nice to lock a  couple of them up now to long-term deals, but we can still do that next off-season when they have 1 year left (which is probably the angle from both sides)

    why do so many people think Gilbert would run the team so much differently?  he makes money on the Cavs.

  • Anonymous

    not really a problem.  we have control of our young players.  yeah, it’d be nice to lock a  couple of them up now to long-term deals, but we can still do that next off-season when they have 1 year left (which is probably the angle from both sides)

    why do so many people think Gilbert would run the team so much differently?  he makes money on the Cavs.