Blue Jays to Sign Melky Cabrera

According to Enrique Rojas of ESPNDeportes, the Toronto Blue Jays have agreed to sign free agent outfielder Melky Cabrera to a two-year, $16 million deal.

Cabrera served a 50 ban for testosterone. Image: Mark J. Rebilas-US PRESSWIRE

For Cabrera, who missed the final 45 games plus the post-season with the Giants after testing positive for performance enhancing drugs in 2012, getting a multi-year deal is almost shocking as many figured his best bet would be to take a meager one-year contract and attempt to rebuild his value.

Obviously, the Blue Jays feel like the success Cabrera has had over the past two years is more Cabrera than it was the PEDs. By adding Cabrera, Toronto has basically completed their roster overhaul which started by adding five players from Miami via trade. That trade is yet to be official.

Cabrera was hitting .346 with a .909 OPS at the time of his suspension. Over his past two seasons, going back to a year in Kansas City in 2011, Cabrera has produced a .322/.360/.489 line over 1200 plate appearances. In that time he has averaged 56 extra-base hits per season.

Assuming Cabrera passes his physical, the Blue Jays will have their new starting left fielder, replacing Rajai Davis. A week after being a club that was without significant depth, GM Alex Anthopolous has added the likes of Jose Reyes, Emilio Bonifacio and Cabrera to a lineup that already boasted Brett Lawrie, Edwin Encarnacion, and Jose Bautista.

If Cabrera is anything close to the player he was in San Francisco or even Kansas City, this move makes the Blue Jays a much better club.