Top 10 New York sports moments of 2016: Gary Sanchez, John Tavares and more 3
Sep 22, 2016; New York City, NY, USA; New York Mets shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera (13) reacts after hitting a walk off three run home run against the Philadelphia Phillies during the 11th inning at Citi Field. The Mets won 9-8. Mandatory Credit: Andy Marlin-USA TODAY Sports

Thanks to the New York Mets request of a positional move, Asdrubal Cabrera has requested a trade. It’s not only the right thing, but necessary. 

Asdrubal Cabrera has been very productive at the shortstop position for the New York Mets. He has been a solid stopgap from Ruben Tejada to Amed Rosario.

Last year, the Mets inked Cabrera to a two-year, $18 million deal. That deal was the right move for the Mets because he offered veteran leadership and the contract is on par with his talents and capabilities. Last year was a great first season for him in a Mets uniform, hitting .280, bashing 23 homers and knocking in 62 RBIs.

However, the time has come for him to be traded.

This season just has not been the same for him. Cabrera, at age 31, is struggling through one of the worst seasons of his career. So far, he is hitting just .253 with six homers and just 20 RBIs. Not only that, he is letting his down numbers at the plate affect his stellar defense also. This season, he is one of the worst among shortstops with 11 errors in 171 throws. Defense is what the Mets were expecting from him regardless of his struggles at the plate.

Now, the Mets have to move on from him for a variety of reasons. First of all, he has explicitly told the organization he wants to be traded, thanks to the club’s request to move him to second base. The Amazins shouldn’t have anyone on the team that doesn’t want to play for them.

“Personally, I’m not really happy with that move,” Cabrera told reporters after meeting with manager Terry Collins and general manager Sandy Alderson before Friday’s game, according to MLB.com. “If they have that plan, they should have told me before I came over here. I just told my agent about it. If they have that plan for me, I think it’s time to make a move.

“What I saw the last couple of weeks, I don’t think they have any plans for me. I told my agent, so we’re going to see what happens in the next couple weeks.”

 

Secondly, he is not getting any younger, in which he has been injured for some part of this season. He was on the 10-day DL with a sprained thumb, and it took him some time to get back into the lineup. He has been a liability for the team both offensively and defensively.

Thirdly, it’s time to move on to Amed Rosario.

The Mets have been playing atrocious baseball lately and he has been hitting well in Triple AAA Las Vegas. It’s time for the highly regarded prospect to show what he can do in the majors.

 

Sandy Alderson and the Mets have been reluctant to bring up top prospects too quickly in the past, which is a good move. However, Rosario is ready and the major league club needs a spark of young blood on offense. Cabrera is not the answer anymore.

Finally, the clock is winding down for the Mets to actually be able to receive something back if they were to trade Cabrera. If they keep waiting, there is a high chance his production could decrease even more, where they would get next to nothing for him.

Some teams still may value him because he can be productive, especially off the bench for a contending team. Executives are still able to remember the production he showed the MLB last year when he burst out for the second most home runs hit of his career. New York could possibly still get a couple of minor league prospects, a major league ready pitcher that can help stop the bleeding from the current starters, some bullpen help, or a veteran that can come off the bench in high-pressure situations.

Cabrera has been a true and influential veteran to some of the younger players, but the Mets have other veterans that can offer the same if not more.

He has played well in a tough New York environment, but it’s time for Asdrubal to go, while the Mets can still get something back.

Huge Mets, Knicks, and Jets fan. Fantasy Football is my life on Sundays in the winter. Live in Manhattan on the Upper West side and just graduated from Hofstra University, majoring in Radio Production.