Cleveland Indians: A look at Melky Cabrera’s short time in Cleveland

The Cleveland Indians decided to part ways with Melky Cabrera in a move to open up a roster spot. Cabrera struggled during his short tenure in Cleveland.

The Cleveland Indians are a team known for handing out opportunities to veterans. That trend continued this year by giving Melky Cabrera a shot to make a name for himself in Cleveland.

That didn’t go according to plan as Cabrera struggled and was designated for assignment earlier today.

It was only a matter of time for Cabrera as it was clear that someone had to go when Brandon Guyer returned. His two strikeouts Wednesday night served as a bad omen.

Cabrera leaves after slashing .207/.242/.293 in 17 games with the Indians. He had 12 hits, no home runs, 10 strikeouts and drew just three walks. Not exactly numbers that stand out, but it is a very small sample size.

He clearly joined the team as an injury replacement at a time when the Indians seemingly had more injured outfielders than healthy ones. But now that Guyer and Lonnie Chisenhall are back, and Tyler Naquin also seems close, the regulars are regaining their jobs.

This was by far Cabrera’s worst stint with a team, but to be fair it came in only 17 games. He was never set to be a part of the long-term plans, unless he dominated, so his presence with the team won’t exactly be remembered when looking back on the 2018 season.

Cabrera could always go unclaimed and go back to Columbus, so he may not be out of the organization just yet. But based on his career numbers, another team may be willing to take a chance on him.

Next: Ranking Terry Francona among the team’s best managers

What do you think of the decision to cut Cabrera in favor of keeping Guyer? Was it the no-brainer move or should the Indians have opted to keep Cabrera?