Cabrera, A-Rod, and Replay

The Yankees, along with all other potential suitors, should proceed with caution with regard to any trade talks involving Miguel Cabrera. The Marlins are likely to ask for either Joba Chamberlain or Phil Hughes as part of a package for Cabrera, a request to which the Yankees should just say no. Now, if the Marlins are willing to accept a package that substitutes Ian Kennedy for Hughes or Chamberlain and includes Melky Cabrera and outfield prospect Jose Tabata, well that’s a different story. Even then, the Yankees shouldn’t fool themselves into thinking that Cabrera can play third base. He’s horrific at the corner, better only than Ryan Braun, and would make the Yankees terribly weak on the left side of the infield, where Derek Jeter’s range continues to diminish to frightful levels. The Yankees would be advised to move Cabrera, who reminds some people of Frank Robinson, across the diamond to first base and fill their third base void with the quicker and more sure-handed Wilson Betemit.
Cabrera’s attitude and work ethic should be lesser concerns to New York, if only because Joe Girardi cultivated a good relationship with Cabrera during the 2006 season. Girardi has expressed no reservations about working with Cabrera again; the ex-Marlins manager felt that his attitude and level of hustle were acceptable, even to Joltin’ Joe’s high standards…

The Mets’ interest in Alex Rodriguez is understandable. When the game’s best all-around player becomes available on the open market, you should be interested. Here’s what I don’t understand: why would the Mets move David Wright, a Gold Glover at third base, to the more physically demanding position of second base? That would not only represent a difficult shift along the defensive spectrum, but it would also expose Wright to the perils of trying to turn double plays against hard-charging baserunners. Why make a move that would only increase the risk of injury to your franchise player? Shifting Wright to first base would make a lot more sense, but then again, the Mets would be minimizing the defensive contributions of a player who has the hands and range to play the hot corner…

If you had asked me about the wisdom of instant replay for baseball 15 years ago, I would have scoffed at the suggestion, based mostly on the premise that not all games were televised. How could a rule only be applied to some games, but not all? Well, ask me now. With all regular season games being televised either locally or nationally, with the advanced technology of HD, with additional camera angles, instant replay is now a feasible proposition. Most of baseball’s general managers seem to agree, having passed a resolution to explore the concept further. Including the tiebreaker game between the Rockies and Padres, we saw two postseason instances where instant replay could have been used in helping the umpires determine whether balls had cleared outfield fences. With more and more ballparks featuring outfield walls that are adjacent to the stands, it has become increasingly difficult to distinguish home runs from balls that remain in play. I would add only one caveat to the adoption of instant replay: there should be a strict time limit for umpires to view instant replays. The games are simply too long as is…

On a promotional note, I’ll be taking part in a special panel discussion this Saturday afternoon at the Museum of the City of New York. The 2:00 p.m. panel, which will discuss the role of Latino players in major league baseball, will feature former Yankees and Indians outfielder Rusty Torres. For more information on the event, visit www.mcny.org.