Asdrubal Cabrera Stats & Scouting Report

AB	6632
AVG	.266
OBP	.329
SLG	.423
HR	195

Full name Asdrúbal Jose Cabrera
Born 11/13/1985 in Puerto La Cruz, Venezuela
Profile Ht.: 6'0" / Wt.: 235 / Bats: S / Throws: R
School Placida Maneiro
Debut 08/08/2007

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

The Indians expected to contend in 2006, and when they didn't, they made a pair of profitable midseason deals with the Mariners. Cleveland sent its first-base platoon of Ben Broussard and Eduardo Perez to Seattle in exchange for Cabrera (who came over straight up for Perez), right fielder Shin-Soo Choo and lefty Shawn Nottingham. The Mariners moved Cabrera quickly, promoting him to Triple-A in 2005--his first year in full-season ball. He stayed at that level as a 20-year-old in 2006 and batted just .249--37 points below his previous career average. Cabrera won't be an offensive force, but he's a switch-hitter with some bat control and a whole-field approach. His speed is just average, and he doesn't have standout ability in terms of power, basestealing or on-base ability. Defense is Cabrera's forte. His soft hands and above-average arm are his biggest assets. He's stationary in his setup, lacks first-step quickness and has long actions, leaving him with fringe-average range at shortstop and in line to possibly move to second base down the road. Though the Tribe has questions about its middle infield, Cabrera needs to repeat Triple-A this year.
An all-star shortstop in each of his first two seasons, Cabrera ceded the position to Matt Tuiasosopo at low Class A Wisconsin and dazzled at second base. Promoted to high Class A when Adam Jones moved to Double-A, Cabrera returned to shortstop and didn't miss a beat. He finished the season as Tacoma's starting shortstop in the Pacific Coast League playoffs. Managers rated Cabrera the best defensive second baseman in the Midwest League, and some voted for him at shortstop. He's an acrobat with plus range, arm strength, hands and instincts. Offensively, he's a switch hitter who makes contact and has some pop. His speed is average. Cabrera can get too aggressive at the plate and needs to draw more walks to bat near the top of a lineup. Some scouts wonder how much offense he'll provide in the majors. His bat speed is just average, and he doesn't stand out in terms of on-base skills, power or basestealing ability. Seattle wants to spread out its shortstop prospects, so Cabrera could return to Triple-A at age 20. He'll eventually have to beat out Yuniesky Betancourt at shortstop or Jose Lopez at second base to start for the Mariners.
Cabrera was the Rookie-level Venezuelan Summer League's all-star shortstop in his pro debut, so the Mariners skipped him past the Arizona League in 2004. He repeated as an all-star in the Northwest League, where at 18 he was the youngest regular in the league. Polished for his age, Cabrera's all-around game is similar to that of Orlando Cabrera (no relation). A switch-hitter with some gap power, he may have the most pure bat among the system's shortstop prospects. He's also one of its better athletes. An acrobatic defender, Cabrera covers plenty of ground and has reliable hands. He has average arm strength and better accuracy. Cabrera's lower half looks like it could get too thick for shortstop, but he's so smooth that Seattle doesn't foresee that he'll have to move to another position. He'll need to show more patience to fit into his projected No. 2 spot in the batting order. The Mariners are ready to jump Cabrera a level again, deeming him ready for high Class A in 2005. He'll split time at shortstop with Adam Jones after doing so with Oswaldo Navarro in 2004.

Minor League Top Prospects

Cabrera had never played in Double-A prior to this year, though he played in Triple-A throughout 2006, when the Indians acquired him from the Mariners in a midseason deal for Eduardo Perez. In 2007, the Indians opted for a conservative approach so he could work on his defense at shortstop. His bat came to life in the process, and he finished the season as the Tribe's big league second baseman, relegating Josh Barfield to the bench. Cabrera improved his plate discipline and became much more consistent offensively, thriving after lowering his elbow in his stance. The tweak quickened his hands and unleashed solid gap-to-gap power. A savvy baserunner with average speed, he's an instinctive and flashy defender with a plus arm. Cabrera improved his footwork on balls to the hole, and by taking extra grounders he learned to anticipate balls off the bat better, rarely getting caught in between by bad hops. There's no reason he couldn't play shortstop at the big league level.
When the Mariners promoted Jones to Double-A, they replaced him with Cabrera and Inland Empire didn't miss a beat. While Cabrera doesn't have Jones' all-around game, he hit for average and played major league-caliber defense. Like Jones, he was just 19 and scouts praised his baseball savvy and instincts. Cabrera does have some offensive value as a switch-hitter with the ability to hit for average, but his lack of on-base skills and power could relegate him to the bottom of a lineup. There's still plenty of room for growth, however, and he has more than enough bat to be an everyday player. His solid glovework includes plus range and the ability to make difficult plays to either side look easy. "I can't think of anything he doesn't do well with the glove," an AL scout said. "He's flashy but steady."
Because the Mariners sent three shortstop prospects to Wisconsin, the Timber Rattlers had to work out a timeshare between Tuiasosopo, Cabrera and Oswaldo Navarro. Managers rated Cabrera the MWL's best defensive second baseman and also gave him votes at short, where he played full-time and excelled after a promotion to high Class A. "Defensively, he's one of the best I've seen in a long time," Boles said. "He has a chance to be a special defensive player." While Cabrera is a switch-hitter who controlled the strike zone and hit for average, his offensive ceiling may be somewhat limited. His speed is just average, so he'll have to develop more pop to make much of an impact. He does have room to fill out in his 6-foot, 170-pound frame.
Cabrera rates as the league's best defensive infielder because of his sure hands, quick feet and impressive range. His arm rates average, but it's plenty accurate. He made all the routine plays and some spectacular ones. He drew a comparison to another Cabrera, Orlando of the Red Sox. "He's pretty polished for an 18-year-old," Kennedy said. "He didn't make many mistakes and knew how to play the position." Cabrera has decent strength for his age and size, which manifested itself in steady gap-to-gap power numbers. His game, however, will be handling the bat atop a lineup. He makes solid contact, has good at-bats and should hit for average. Cabrera's speed rates as average, but he won't be a basestealing threat.