A-Rod not as hot an option at hot corner

A-Rod not as hot an option at hot corner
With Cabrera in mix, age and price make him a better option

By Tom Singer / MLB.com

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Early Thursday, after two-and-a-half days of a crammed agenda, baseball general managers quickly pulled out of the Hyatt Cypress Gardens, site of their annual meetings.

Almost as fast as teams had pulled out of the Alex Rodriguez Sweepstakes during the week.

As if Rodriguez's options hadn't dwindled fast enough when all the clubs perceived as logical destinations either rejected or at least demurred on the idea, publicly anyway, his market took another big hit when Miguel Cabrera became openly available.

Cabrera, not Rodriguez, zoomed into the biggest name at the meetings as soon as Florida club president Larry Beinfest announced in a closed-door meeting with all 30 general managers that the Marlins would field offers for him.

Even previously, Rodriguez was not the only available marquee third baseman. But A-Rod could pull rank on others up for trade such as the White Sox's Joe Crede, or even fellow free agent Mike Lowell.

But Cabrera ... now there is a name to flutter the heart of any general manager looking for a hot new name at the hot corner.

Agent Scott Boras and Rodriguez, who've been crunching some pretty big numbers of their own (if you consider $350 million a big number), now have some other impressive numbers to crunch.

Such as, someone who is eight years younger and will cost half as much. A team able to trade for Cabrera would want to sign him to a multi-year deal, to cover some free-agency eligibility, but at the very least two years to buy out his two remaining arbitration years. Based on the $7.4 million salary Cabrera's received this season through an arbitration win, that two-year pact would come in at about $25 million.

If still in a crunching mood, try these numbers:

Cabrera, who will turn 25 in the second week of the 2008 season, is a career .313 hitter with 138 homers and 523 RBIs.

Rodriguez finished the season (1999) in which he turned 24 with a career average of .308 and 148 homers and 463 RBIs.

You could add that Cabrera also has a World Series ring (contributing four homers and 12 RBIs to the Marlins' 2003 postseason title run) -- but why pile on?

So it is easy to understand why Cabrera would suddenly be prioritized by all the teams with an undeniable need for a third baseman -- well, all except the Red Sox, still intent on striking a new deal with Lowell.

But the Angels, Dodgers, Yankees, Tigers, Phillies, Cubs, White Sox ... they're in the Miguel mix.

The Angels had emerged as the pole-sitters for Rodriguez by default, only because GM Tony Reagins hadn't outright dismissed the idea, instead discussing it diplomatically.

Here's the Reagins quote that has been widely interpreted to mean the Angels were eager to sign A-Rod: "He probably makes any team that he's a part of better."

What a shock. In reality, Angels owner Arte Moreno could eventually consider justifications to plow a quarter of his payroll into him -- attendance, TV ratings (where, despite the marketing-oriented switch to "Los Angeles" in their name, the Angels still badly trail the Dodgers), brand recognition.

But right now, more appealing is the idea of a Cabrera left side of the infield -- Miguel next to Orlando, who just picked up his second Gold Glove.

The same idea also appeals to both the Yankees and Red Sox -- but don't expect Cabrera to become the next player over whom the rivals clash. Instead, they might take turns with him.

New York GM Brian Cashman fantasizes about Cabrera as the perfect replacement third baseman, but that's what he will remain if the Marlins insist on dipping into the Yankees' treasure chest of young pitchers -- Joba Chamberlain, Phil Hughes, and Ian Kennedy.

Boston remains focused on Lowell, but would turn its attention to Cabrera if a deal there fell through -- at which time Lowell might become the Yankees' top quarry.

Wherever the Rodriguez show goes from here, it will travel stealthily. When Boras pledged before the GM meetings a "quiet and confidential" process, he wasn't kidding.

Usually not one to skirt a stage or a spotlight, Boras never made an appearance in the Hyatt's vast lobby to hold his usual court with media. He preferred working in the shadows, even before Cabrera cast a longer one.