Signed as an eighteen year old out of Colombia by the Expos, Cabrera is one of just 13 Colombian players–over half of which made their debut last season–to make it to The Show. After leaving the Expos, he played for eight MLB teams over the span of a 14-year career, mostly on one-year contracts. He won a World Series with the Red Sox and a pair of Gold Gloves, and had 11 seasons in which he hit over .300.
Last we saw him…
At the 2009 trade deadline, the Twins traded middle infielder Tyler Ladendorf to the Athletics for Cabrera in order to solidify the shortstop position. Cabrera hit .289 and knocked in 36 runs over the course of the remainder of the season, but he committed 11 errors in 57 games and led the majors with 25 on the year.
In game 163, Cabrera hit a two-run shot in the seventh inning en route to a 6-5 extra-innings Twins win over the Tigers. He went 2-13 in the playoffs as the Twins were swept by the Yankees in three games and left as a free agent after the season.
What he’s been up to since
Cabrera signed a one-year contract with Cincinnati in 2010 and, while on the disabled list, acted as the Reds’ bat boy for one game in full bat-boy attire, bringing balls to the home plate umpire and collecting bats. He signed on with Cleveland the following year, got his 2,000th hit in June, and was traded to the Giants the following month. He retired after the season.
Cabrera signed a one-year contract with Cincinnati in 2010 and, while on the disabled list, acted as the Reds’ bat boy for one game in full bat-boy attire, bringing balls to the home plate umpire and collecting bats. He signed on with Cleveland the following year, got his 2,000th hit in June, and was traded to the Giants the following month. He retired after the season.
What he’s doing nowCabrera said he would come out of retirement if the Colombian team made it to the 2013 WBC final round. Unfortunately, the team didn’t make it out of the qualifying round. Cabrera retired just over a year ago and waited until mid January to make his announcement, so it wouldn’t be shocking to hear he’s been working out and to see his name pop up as a veteran bench option for a major-market team, if someone gets injured after the trade deadline this season.
Ben Noble is a Minneapolis-based writer, editor and photojournalist who began covering sports for the Star Tribune when Joe Mauer was still finishing up high school. His passions include Twins minor league baseball, pit bulls, pretty ladies and bacon.
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