Orlando Cabrera Could Sign Soon

When he was drafted in the first round, twenty fifth overall back in 2005, it seemed that Bobby Crosby was on a fast track to Oakland.  A few injuries, a couple of bad seasons, and a crippled economy has led to the conclusion of the A's acquiring an established shortstop.

They flirted earlier this offseason with the idea of signing Rafael Furcal for nearly a total of $40 million over four years but ultimately lost out to Dodgers.  And with the reluctance of GM's to sign multi-year big bucks contracts, Orlando Cabrera could be had at a very cost efficient price.

According to Jon Heyman of SI.com, Cabrera could sign at a reasonable $5 million dollars, which could work for the Athletics.  A's GM Billy Beane is a smart man and will only sign Cabrera if the money is just right.

Signing Orlando Cabrera would be a smart idea for the club as they could bat him in front of their mashers to generate a lot of runs.  Whether or not Cabrera gets a deal done with Oakland, look for Oakland's offense to be revamped with key additions of Matt Holliday (trade) and Jason Giambi (free agency).

In addition to his sneaky bat, Cabrera also brings over a pretty decent glove.  Although he has compiled over 15 errors in two of the last three seasons (still a better defender than Crosby), he will make all the routine plays and in addition to some difficult ones due to his pretty good range in the field.

He has also lost a step or two over the past few seasons but he could give this team a little spark in the running game as Oakland isn't well known for stolen bases.

If Beane can sign Orlando Cabrera to a reasonable contract, I don't see why it would be a bad thing.  Cabrera is a better player overall than Crosby, and this would give Oakland a pretty good utility man coming off the bench—although Crosby hasn't played anything else besides shortstop since being brought to the big leagues (you're never too old to learn something new).