Cabrera arrives at Pirate City

Veteran outfielder says focus is wins

BRADENTON, Fla. — In Lonnie Chisenhall, the Pirates have a right fielder while Gregory Polanco finishes recovering from shoulder surgery.

In Melky Cabrera, the Pirates have a versatile switch-hitter who has produced offensively for more than a decade — and insurance against Chisenhall’s history of calf injuries.

“I just want to share my gratitude for the organization in giving me the opportunity,” Cabrera said in Spanish, with interpreter Mike Gonzalez translating, after arriving at Pirate City on Sunday. “I’m glad to be here. I want to be here because I want to help this team win.”

The Pirates signed the 34year-old Cabrera to a minor league contract and he appears to have a solid chance of making the team.

Last season with the Cleveland Indians, Cabrera had a .335 on-base percentage, a .420 slugging percentage and six home runs with a .280 average in 278 plate appearances. Cabrera has a .286 career average in 14 seasons in the majors.

“I’ve got to give the credit to my preparation,” he said. “Not only do I prepare physically and I work hard and train hard, even mentally. My mental health is very important to me and just working hard and training hard is what I do.”

Polanco will miss the

beginning of the season for surgery to repair a torn labrum in his throwing shoulder. He said he could return as early as May.

The Pirates signed Chisenhall, Cabrera’s teammate in Cleveland last year, to play until Polanco returns. “He’s a great guy, great teammate, good ballplayer,” Cabrera said.

But Chisenhall played only 29 games last season because of injuries to both calves. Should those recur, Cabrera could be a capable fill-in.

“A switch-hitter that’s still effective versus both left and right [handed pitchers],” general manager Neal Huntington said of Cabrera. “We have a need for some veteran presence in the position player group as well, and a guy that can still hit at the major league level.”

“If Melky plays to the best of his ability and Lonnie plays to the best of his ability,” manager Clint Hurdle added regarding the move, “it will be interesting to see where they can take it.”

The New York Yankees signed Cabrera in 2001 out of the Dominican Republic. He debuted in New York in 2005 and played there until their 2009 World Series season, after which the Yankees traded him to Atlanta. He signed with the Kansas City Royals before the 2011 season; they traded him to the San Francisco Giants the following winter.

That next year, Cabrera was the MVP of the All-Star game in his only career appearance. He hit .346 with 11 home runs and a .390 on-base percentage. But that August, Major League Baseball suspended him for 50 games after testing positive for testosterone.

He compiled that .346 average in 501 at-bats, one short of qualifying for the batting title, but still could have won because of a provision that allows hitless at-bats to be included. But he asked MLB and the MLB Players Association to remove him from consideration anyway. Giants teammate Buster Posey’s .336 average ultimately won out.

Though Cabrera would have been eligible for postseason play under a previous Joint Drug Agreement, the Giants left him off the playoff roster and won the World Series.

Cabrera played for Toronto and the White Sox before returning to the Royals. He then signed a minor league deal with the Indians last April, well after opening day.

“It feels great to be here early,” he said. “I’m here to connect with this team, be a part of this organization and to get started right away.”

The Indians designated Cabrera for assignment but he chose to test free agency rather than accept an outright assignment to Class AAA. Cabrera re-signed in Cleveland when Chisenhall went on the disabled list.

“At the beginning, it was a little bit difficult,” he said. “But at the end of the day, like I mentioned before, I’m here to just play ball and help the team win.”

In parts of 14 seasons, Cabrera has a career .286 average, a .335 on-base percentage and a .418 slugging percentage. Since 2011, he has hit .296.

“Physically, I feel great,” Cabrera said. “I know I’m 34, but I feel young, and I still think I’m young. As long as I feel great and continue to just be physically in shape and mentally in shape, I’m going to continue to play. The moment I feel like that’s gone, that’s the day I’ll hang it up. “