Asdrubal Cabrera

2013

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2012

Cabrera enjoyed a breakout season, but it comes with a few warning flags. He really struggled in the second half, perhaps due to a litany of nagging injuries to his ankle, knee, back and wrist and while his command of the strike zone (44:119 BB:K) is solid it certainly doesn't represent a change in approach at the plate that would support his huge power increase. He had never hit more than six homers in a season prior to last year's outburst so one has to wonder if he'll be able to approach the 25-homer mark again. He'll be back as Cleveland's starting shortstop but a repeat performance seems unlikely despite entering his age-26 season.

2011

Cabrera's season was derailed by a broken forearm in mid-May that kept him sidelined until late July as he failed to follow up on his breakout season (.308 average, 68 RBI, 17 steals) of 2009. He no longer offers second-base eligibility as he's moved over to shortstop on a full-time basis now, but he should easily improve over last year's line now that he's healthy as he anchors a spot in the top third of the Indians lineup.

2010

It was a breakout season for the 23-year-old Cabrera, hitting .308 with 68 RBI and 17 steals. He's finally been moved over to shortstop, though his 28 games at second base last season should still give him one more year of eligibility at the keystone in most formats. There's room for growth here if he can avoid the nagging little injuries and he'll enter the season as the team's starting shortstop and No. 2 hitter.

2009

Cabrera was a trendy sleeper pick heading into the season and struggled out of the gate before a hip injury compounded the problem in June. He got sent to Triple-A for six weeks to straighten out his game and came back to hit .320/.398/.464 in the season's second half. The Indians have talked about moving him over to shortstop but Cleveland is counting on him to be an everyday player wherever he winds up defensively. He could be a moderate source of power and speed up the middle if the Indians let him run.

2008

Forgive the fine folks in the Emerald City if they spit out their lattes each time they hear the name of Eduardo Perez. Overmatched and struggling as a 20-year-old at Triple-A, the Mariners shipped Cabrera to Cleveland in a deadline deal in the middle of 2006. The Indians took their time with Cabrera and he rewarded them in spades by not only exceeding expectations at Double-A to start the season, but also taking over the second base duties for the Indians as they almost reached the World Series. Whether he sticks at second base or pushes Jhonny Peralta over to third base and takes over at shortstop remains to be seen. He's not going to give you a ton of pop from a middle infielder right now but Cabrera could have a couple of 15-homer, 20-steal seasons at his peak if the Indians let him run.

2007

Cabrera has emerged as the heir apparent to patrol short for the Tribe and may come sooner than later, if Jhonny Peralta's struggles continue. After coming over to the Tribe in the Eduardo Perez deal, Cabrera hit .263 with a .632 OPS in 52 games at Triple-A Buffalo. Still only 20 years old, Cabrera's defense will continue to keep him in the lineup and if he can approach the .881 OPS year he had in 2005, Peralta may be wearing another uniform before long. As it stands, Cabrera will start the season in Buffalo, with every opportunity he needs to stay.

2006

In an organization loaded with middle-infield prospects, Cabrera perhaps made the biggest strides in 2005. But while his glove is near major league ready, his bat needs more seasoning. His average dropped at each stop he made last year from Mid-A Wisconsin to High-A Inland Empire to Triple-A Tacoma (.318, .284, .217). Cabrera is one of the Mariners' Top 10 prospects, but the abundance of middle infielders will make it hard for him to crack the Seattle roster any time soon.