Melky Cabrera has been a very present surprise for the San Francisco Giants, leading all of baseball in hits. The Giants are playing very well right now and you cannot overlook Cabrera's slash line of .373/.417/.550. After years of mediocrity with the Yankees, Braves and Royals, could this be the true Melky Cabrera?
While his production to this point has been great, his BABIP (Batting Average on Balls In Play; read more here) of .413 suggests Cabrera is going to regress substantially. His value is at an all-time high now and should come down in the future, and that may be why Brian Sabean is yet to present his outfielder with a legitimate contract extension.
Here is Buster Olney of ESPN with the latest on the progress towards a new deal.
Similarly, Melky Cabrera is on the verge of free agency without progress toward a long-term deal with the San Francisco Giants, sources say. Cabrera is in a great position to cash in, because he had a 201-hit season in 2011 and is on a pace for 248 hits this year. How much will it take to sign him? Well, less than two years ago, Carl Crawford got a seven-year, $142 million deal from the Boston Red Sox, and last week, Adam Jones -- more than a year removed from free agency -- got a six-year, $85.5 million deal from the Baltimore Orioles.
The thought of handing Cabrera a deal worth that kind of money has to be frightening considering his inconsistent past, but you cannot deny what he has meant to the Giants thus far. Something in the range of five years and $60 million seems reasonable, although this number could increase should Cabrera hit the free agent market.
For more on Melky and the Giants, be sure to check out McCovey Chronicles.