Jan
14
Melky avoid arbitration with the Braves
ByVia Enrique Rojas, one-time great Yankee Melky Cabrera avoided arbitration with the Braves, signing a one-year deal worth … wait for it … $3.1M! Good for the Melkman. I’ve always said Melky was a great guy to have around when he was making six-figures, but now that he’s making several million through arbitration, eh, the investment is a little tough to swallow. Given the free agent market, it’s pretty easy to think the money could be better spent elsewhere.
But again, congrats to Leche, I’m happy for him.
68 Comments»
RAB Info
The Founders
Mike Axisa, Ben Kabak, Joe Pawlikowski
Editor-In-Chief
Mike Axisa Archives | Email
Managing Editors
Ben Kabak Archives | E-mail
Joe Pawlikowski Archives | E-mail
Contributing Editors
Larry Koestler (Archives)
Moshe Mandel (Archives)
Eric Schultz (Archives)
Weekend Writers
Hannah Ehrlich (Archives)
Matthew Warden (Archives)
Special Contributor
J.R. O'Grady (Archives)
Technical Consultant
Jay Gordon
Subscribe to RAB by RSS
Follow @RiverAveBlues
Search RAB
Loading
Yankees News from YESNetwork.com
- Postgame notebook: Hughes struggles in finale of doubleheader
- Bleacher Creatures show Don Mattingly love
- Yankees fall in nightcap, split doubleheader with Dodgers
- Zoilo Almonte makes Major League debut in Yankees' 6-0 loss to Dodgers
- Postgame notebook: Hiroki Kuroda delivers against former team in opener of doubleheader
- Ichiro powers Yankees to Game 1 win
- Jeter takes batting practice in Tampa
- Yankees sign draft picks Clarkin, Katoh
- Francisco agrees to terms with San Diego Padres
- Yankees acquire Fernando Martinez from Houston
Banner Design By
The Tyler Austin Watch
so the 7 mill the yankees said they had plus the 3 mil melky makes = the 10 mill for javy. so then that makes sense
You know, maybe not by Yankee fan standards, but in general, Melky is a valuable and underrated ML starter. He has a league average bat with great defense, plus now that he’s in the NL, I would expect what? A slightly higher batting average and on-base percentage? Fangraphs says he was worth 7.3 mil last year, Chone says 15.1 mil for next year, I’m guessing 10 Mil and like 2.5 WAR.
Hitters don’t necessarily benefit from moving to the NL, more that pitchers do because of weaker lineups.
not sure great defense is entirely accurate. above-average maybe
but in general, Melky is a valuable and underrated ML starter.
I’d say he’s neither underrated nor overrated.
He’s just rated.
He was who we thought he was!
we can build on this!
Usually, there’s hoopla involved.
Tommie, do you wear shirts with random triangles?
Let’s wedge it. Let’s wedge it.
And we let him off the hook!
C’mon. He’s only 25. With his development, he’s going to be a superstar around 40.
If Melky can please a porn star, he can do anything.
Watch out, Chipper Jones!
Watch out,
Chipper JonesHooters!Well, at least with Melky’s payday he can tip more than A-Rod tips.
Reminds me of a kid I was stationed with in the Marine Corps. His name was Mierhoffer, and we used to say that he wasn’t a good Hoffer and he wasn’t a bad Hoffer, he was just a mere, Hoffer.
I should be punished
For every pun I shed
Spare not a puny shred
Of my punnish head
False.
Melky and great defense are mutually exclusive.
-2.4 UZR in the outfield for his career, 4593 innings.
that’ll buy a lot of hotel peanuts and hotel wine for his dates w/ porn stars. to be sure.
3.1M doesn’t sound like “in the mix for a starting spot with Blanco, Hinske, and Schafer in a 4-way spring training battle”.
3.1M sounds like “presumptive starter and a virtual lock to be the Opening Day leftfielder so that he can justify his salary”.
Melk Money!
from $1.4M to $3.1M….nice increase for a 4th OF
nice increase for a
4th3rd OFFixed.
Sincerely,
The Atlanta Braves
He’s a league average player. For most teams, that makes him one of their top 3 outfielders.
That.
You are assuming like many others that 2010 Melky will be equal to or greater then 2009 Melky.
2009 Melky: average
2007-2008: below average
2006: average
Who knows what the Braves are going to get from Melky next season.
Good for Melky…$3.1mn is a long way from his 2007 demotion back to AAA.
Make that 2008 demotion.
going to the braves IS a demotion.
That should provide a nice incentive for Brett and his financial future….
Melky isn’t going to cure the Braves’ lack of power, but if he can OPS .800 it’ll go a long way towards setting himself up for a multi-year deal. Melky has got to lock in on hitting line drives while playing in spacious ATL. Looking at his ISO, does anyone not think its possible?
Just keep him out the Emperor’s Club and Melk should fine ATL a good fit as an average regular.
but if he can OPS .800
Of course, but if he was an .800 OPS player he probably wouldn’t have been traded.
Hopefully Mary Carey doesn’t see this, she’ll probably increase her rate.
Whats Melkys Arbitration Level?
Its over 9000!!!
heh
Melky will be a Yankee again before his career is over.
From your fingertips to God’s eyes, Link.
Scranton, or Tampa?
Pittsburgh.
That works.
“I’ve always said Melky was a great guy to have around when he was making six-figures, but now that he’s making several million through arbitration, eh, the investment is a little tough to swallow.”
This pretty much sums the situation up perfectly. The marginal upgrade Melky provides over a guy like Gardner isn’t worth the extra 2.5 million or so. Doesn’t mean he’s not a useful player, but that’s a lot for a team like the Braves to pay a bench player.
Now that he’s making some serious coin, what’s the over/under on his weight gain? He’s got the potential to pack on some serious pounds. I’m going over/under 25 pounds. Wait until we start hearing that he shows up to camp out of shape.
He is going to love those Waffle Houses and Bojangles.
Its not like hes got a 5 year deal.
No weight gain.
This is because he’s Dominician, TITS, lazy…yes?
That’s a sizable chunk of change to give unto Melky. I hope he does well with the Braves this year, for his sake and the team’s.
Getting Bobby Abreu away from Melky and Cano is the best thing that ever happened to those two…work ethic and upside. I still think Melky will turn out to be a ~300 hitter playing slightly above avg defense.
My favorite moment from 2009? Melky ending Smoltz’s stint w/ the Redsux. That high and tight fastball he hit out was ridiculous.
Getting Bobby Abreu away from Melky and Cano is the best thing that ever happened to those two…work ethic and upside
Well I don’t know about that.
Abreu approach (not giving a sh*t) works for some…not Melky and Cano. They both got fat and lazy. But then again, Torre could be blamed for that. Abreu is a great player and his approach works for him. But I don’t think he is the best role model for young players. I prefer A-Rod mentoring them which is what happened this past season and both drastically improved. Steroids and Kate Hudson aside, A-rod promoted hard work, smart baseball, and hustle.
Bobby Abreu’s “approach” is not “not giving a shit”.
You’re mistaken.
Also, neither Melky nor Cano got “fat and lazy”. Also not true.
They couldn’t get lazy if they already are. They are Dominican after all.
/Perpetuating stereotypes
“A-rod promoted hard work, smart baseball, and hustle.”
apparently didnt rub off on Cano
/cause you know he’s dominican and lazy
//sarcasm
Who did Cano and Melky sit w/ on the bench and pretend to do calisthenics w/ when they struggled before 2009? Who did the sit and stretch w/ this past season?
And they weren’t out of shape? I could be wrong. I’ll check the picture on my TV when I get home. Maybe the HD adds 10 to 15 pounds.
Wait, I though Abreu was the reason the Angels’ hitters got their heads out of their asses and started working the count?
It takes 2 1/2 years for the disease to take hold.
Yeah, he taught them to be lazier and stop swinging at the first pitch all the time.
well played
Getting Bobby Abreu away from Melky and Cano is the best thing that ever happened to those two…work ethic and upside.
I wonder why nobody ever says things like “Getting Sidney Ponson away from Joba Chamberlain and Phil Hughes is the best thing that ever happened to those two… work ethic and upside.”
Hmmmm… I wonder why.
http://www.broadwaysbestshows......t_race.jpg (safe)
Ponson never made the game of baseball look easy.
Sure he did, for the opposing batters.
Touche’
…what? beyond all of the unfounded assertions of Cano and Melky and Abreu actually BEING lazy, could you be any more random? what could possibly suggest that it was Bobby Abreu of all people who made the other two lazy?
Is it Bobby’s fault the youngsters struggled? Maybe not. But I do think having a veteran who doesn’t push himself physically, doesn’t give up his body going to the wall, and never displays a sense of urgency as a role model for 2 young players isn’t a recipe for success.
Do you think there is any reason Bobby keeps putting up all star #s and no team has ever been in a huge hurry to lock him up? Philly couldn’t wait to get rid of him. No one likes a glider, especially when the young talent is being exposed to those habits. And you don’t need to be a glider to be patient at the plate. See Swisher.
2007 and 2008, Cano, Melky, and Abreu were three peas in pod. These past season A-rod filled that hole as mentor and the results speak for themselves. Even if you can argue Bobby wasn’t a bad influence, you can’t argue he was a good one. On sports teams there are players who keep the locker room together, players who make everyone else try harder, and then there is Bobby “No WS Ring” Abreu.
He is “just there.”
how many more cliches can you pack into one post?
give me a f’ing break
[...] Jackson pulled in $3.05M, and tonight we found out that he agreed to the same $3.1M salary for 2010 as Melky Cabrera. The Yanks reportedly have only $2M to spend on left, so some money would have to be moved to make [...]