So it looks like we have our first bit of Mets dissention … really in Terry Collins’ tenure, when you think about it. Asdrubal Cabrera has reportedly demanded a trade. It’s not quite as simple as getting off the Titanic as the record sinks, as Marc Carig of Newsday tweets out:
Cabrera says he's informed the Mets to seek a trade. He wants to play shortstop.
— Marc Carig (@MarcCarig) June 23, 2017
Cabrera pretty upset about not being prepped for second base
— Marc Carig (@MarcCarig) June 23, 2017
Cabrera pretty blunt about being mad about moving to second with little notice. Again, looming free agency part of this.
— Marc Carig (@MarcCarig) June 23, 2017
Cabrera said he was asked to move to third. In return, he asked Mets to pick up option. Anyway, that didn't happen.
— Marc Carig (@MarcCarig) June 23, 2017
Cabrera dings Mets on lack of communication. Makes it clear he'd be willing to move positions next year. Wants to play for a winner.
— Marc Carig (@MarcCarig) June 23, 2017
Gee, lack of communication from the Mets? Color me shocked. But I’m sure they’ll get that communication correct after Cabrera is gone and Mets sources tell Andy Martino that Cabrera gave everybody cocaine and had rave parties in the clubhouse. I know it seems crappy for Cabrera to not be amenable to a position switch. But when I hear that the Mets were lacking in the communication aspect of things, I think of Mike Piazza. (That, and the other million times the Mets looked like idiots when it came to bad/wrong communication.) And this seems to be Piazza all over again. Cabrera will probably come off as selfish, and yes … he’s thinking about himself to an extent. He probably didn’t do himself any favors by making this public with very little provocation from the media … and to the media. Probably not the smartest thing he could have done. But I’m sure this situation could have been handled better if the Mets knew how to generally communicate and if the Mets didn’t blindside him by putting him at second base this morning without playing him there at all, and not during this DL stint. Always remember on which side the common thread lies when it comes to lack of effective communication. It’s not Cabrera.
Asdrubal Cabrera speaks about returning from the DL and his desire to be traded. #Mets pic.twitter.com/TwHyCKS1u0
— Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) June 23, 2017
It’s frustrating for the team, but frustrating for the player as well. What frustrates me is this: Why all of this angst with Cabrera moving from shortstop, when Amed Rosario isn’t the one taking over for him? If this was to facilitate a call-up of Rosario, I wouldn’t feel as bad for Cabrera, because he had to have seen that coming. But they’re doing this so that Jose Reyes can continue to hit .193 and be a drain on the infield? All of this angst … for that? If the Mets don’t want to pick up Asdrubal’s option then so be it. But they could have done a better job of convincing Cabrera to change positions and avoid this. Or at least just keep him at shortstop for the time being instead of Jose Reyes for crying out loud. I know Cabrera isn’t having a great season, and after last season’s surprise, I think we all kinda saw this coming. But is Reyes over Cabrera at shortstop really going to make a difference at this point, other than pissing off Cabrera needlessly?
All in all, none of it matters. The Mets are terrible, and now there’s a player that wants out. The fact that it took this long in Terry Collins’ tenure for something like this to happen is a credit to Collins. A team/manager that has lost for as long as the Mets/Collins has should have had this happen to them multiple times. But even if this didn’t happen, Cabrera would probably have been shopped anyway. Now, of course, the split will be less amicable than before.
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