Catching up: Daniel Cabrera Non-tendered

Background
The Orioles non-tendered SP Daniel Cabrera, 28, rather than offer him $3-4 million in arbitration.

Stats

Year	Tm	G	W	L	SV	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	SO	ERA	WHIP
2008	BAL	30	8	10	0	180	199	109	105	24	90	95	5.25	1.60
5 Yr		147	48	59	1	841.3	825	501	472	88	478	651	5.05	1.55

GG's Take
Ever since he was plucked prematurely from AA Bowie at age 23 and surprisingly held his own in 2004, great things have been expected of Cabrera. The hulking body and the right arm throwing mid-90s heat always seemed on the cusp of stardom. A little more guidance, a little more composure would lead to great achievements. He would teeter on the edges of mediocrity, then hurl a brilliant game against the Red Sox or Yankees to tantalize the Orioles, reminding them of what he could do when everything clicked. But his numbers got worse instead of better over the years, and in 2006-2007 his always poor control regressed to where he led the AL in walks. 2008 was more of the same, and this time, Cabrera suffered not only wildness but also a dropoff in his strikeout rate. In light of this you won't be surprised to learn that his fastball velocity diminished (95 to 92 MPH - 1.8%, the fifth-largest drop in baseball between 2007-2008). This, along with the spectre of a big payday looming and fielding skills that were among the worst in the league, left Cabrera with too many strikes against him to remain an Oriole.

Was it the right move? Given the way the free agent market crumbled after the New Year, it appears the O’s were shrewd to avoid arbitration and send Cabrera on his way (as was Cabrera in signing elsewhere immediately). He signed a $2.5 million deal with the Nationals, one of the few teams with rotation problems no less severe than those of the Orioles. It seems clear that Cabrera is never going to harness his control woes, and with his upside relative to cost gone, he was no better than the quorum the Orioles currently have vying for their last two rotation spots. Unless someone whispers something in his ear that causes him to throw strikes with a consistency that a succession of Oriole pitching coaches could not achieve, this will likely be the last year he comes into a major league camp with a rotation slot secured.

Of macabre interest for ex-O's watchers will be Cabrera’s attempts to bat in the National League – he is 0-14 with 14 K’s lifetime as a hitter.