What would it take to get Cabrera?

Because of his ludicrously team-friendly contract, Longoria most likely has the most trade value of any player. Matt Moore’s contract is also absurd (although he isn’t a proven star yet like Longoria, he’s the #1 prospect in MLB right now) No way they swing that deal even if the entire Rays front office was put under anesthesia.

Cabrera is due 21M+ for the next four years. There are a pretty limited number of teams willing to take on a 4yr/85M contract, but it would certainly be attractive to the right team in the right position.

Cabrera being traded would have to be either a Tiger’s payroll slashing or a reallocation of resources. If it’s a payroll move, it would be for a heap of prospects to a team that’s contending today. I doubt that we would consider punting with our current roster any time in the next few years unless there is a change in ownership/direction.

If it’s reallocation of resources, we’d need to find the right trade situations. Looking at the organization as a whole, our major positions of need are OF, 2B, and SS. The other positions have either a solid, young incumbent (like Avila at C, Fielder at 1B, Boesch/Jackson in RF/CF) or prospects on the way (Castellanos at 3B, Turner/Smyly…etc at SP). Our trade partner would have to have organizational strength at one or more of the positions listed and weakness at 1B or 3B (depending on how which position you consider Cabrera.)

Somebody like Texas might make a good trade partner. Their middle infield is strong with Andrus and Kinsler. They are moderately weak at 1B. Their farm is busting with middle infield prospects being blocked by Andrus and Kinsler. Detroit would look to acquire Andrus or Kinsler so that Texas could promote somebody like Jurickson Profar (their top prospect, a SS) or Rougned Odor (#5 prospect in the org, SS/2B)…although both players probably aren’t MLB ready today.

So, if we’re tossing out names – Texas gets Cabrera…Detroit gets Kinser or Andrus and Moreland….maybe some prospects to fluff the deal.

i was going to diss these trade scenarios, but last night i had yet another dream that we traded for Kershaw. i need to stop my ridiculous man-crush on that guy…

is somewhat interesting, although it seems to be stated in this post in more of a tell-me-something-nice-about-my-team-so-I-can-feel-good kind of way,.

In the unlikely event the Tigers find themselves out of the pennant race before the trade deadline sometime in the next few years, Cabrera might be the best way to trim payroll for the future (already paying Verlander and Fielder $20M+) AND receive some key pieces for the coming years. We´d have to pay some of VMart’s salary and he wouldn’t bring that much in return.

The big question would be, and I hope you’ll like this Zaref, would anyone have enough major league ready talent and/or next to sure thing prospects to get Cabrera, and if they did, would they be in a position (looking for that last piece to that year´s WS run?) to give them up for Cabby? I’m sure I wouldn’t be able to do any intelligent speculating on who that might be right now.

I think that if you can get a top 3 SP and a 2 future long term starters at key positions, it would certainly have to be considered, especially if they had a lot of club control years left on them.

but unless and until then, he’s going nowhere.

If and when that were to happen, the Rays won’t/ can’t afford to pay Miggy. Pity, because they could part with more top level prospects than any other club for the right player.

The Dodgers would be a logical trading partner, but they’ll have to sort out their ownership mess first, which should be sorted out within a few months, and the new ownership will have the money to spend. In fact, they would be one of the few clubs that may be able to take on that kind of salary. Others might be the Jays, the Cubs, and the Black Sox (but that ain’t gonna happen, even if hell does freeze over).

The Dodgers have just extended Kemp, and they’re surely going to extend Kershaw if at all possible. Andre Ethier would be available, but it wouldn’t take Miggy to get him. The Dodgers don’t really match up well with what the Tigers need, IMO, which is good position prospects- blue chippers.

The Angels would have been a great fit- until they signed Albert Pujols.

The Cubs might give up Starlin Castro, Josh Vitters, and some other top prospects and the Tigers may find that appealing. They talked about those guys when Granderson was on the block.