Sabean Explains Sanchez-for-Cabrera Deal:
Just got off the conference call with Brian Sabean, Bruce Bochy and Melky Cabrera about the Cabrera/Jonathan Sanchez deal. Here are the highlights:
Sabean can’t yet say where Cabrera will bat in the lineup, what position he’ll play, how this will affect other trades or free-agent pursuits, and who will replace Sanchez in the rotation.
He said he needs to reconvene with manager Bruce Bochy, who just returned from Taiwan, and come up with an updated plan ahead of next week’s GM meetings in Milwaukee.
In spite of all the Sanchez trade talks over the years, Sabean said he never got a good offer or was close to dealing him, and Sanchez’s struggles and injuries this year actually hurt Sabean’s ability to make a better deal this year.
Bochy on Cabrera: “He crosses home plate, and that’s a need here.”
This sounds a lot like the Pablo Sandoval story. Cabrera got fat and out of shape and had a terrible 2010 season, then rededicated himself to working out last offseason. Cabrera and Sabean said that was they key to his career year offensively, and Cabrera pledged to maintain his workouts this winter.
Bochy acknowledged what a lot of you saw on TV from the Taiwan tour, saying he thought Sandoval looked as though he gained weight since the end of the season. Sandoval swore he didn’t, said the uniform made him look big and promised to come into camp weighing less than he did last spring. Sandoval also will play about 10 games in Venezuelan winter ball in December.
Cabrera said he can cover center field at AT&T Park.
Sabean said he has no regrets not trading Sanchez before, when his value could have been higher, because they needed his arm. “In this case, given the player available and given our acute need for more offense, this was the time to cross that bridge.”
The Giants ended Gary Brown’s Arizona Fall League season early because he got severely ill, but tests showed no Valley Fever.
Sabean has no plans to go after Cuban defector Yoennis Cespedes, an outfielder.
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