With the talent the Nationals have returning next season, they can afford to be a patient and/or idle. The Nationals have made no additions to the major league team this winter, letting players go through free agency (Adam LaRoche, Rafael Soriano, etc.) and trading others (Ross Detwiler and Steven Souza Jr.) for minor leaguers and prospects. On Tuesday, another former player went another direction: Asdrubal Cabrera agreed to a deal with the Tampa Bay Rays, pending a physical, according to reports such as CBS Sports. Cabrera handled second base well for the Nationals last season after they acquired him at the July 31 deadline for prospect Zach Walters. With an obvious need at second base, the Nationals talked to Cabrera’s agent this winter but the interest seemed only mild, perhaps only due diligence as they looked into all their infield options. It’s unclear if the Nationals even made an offer. They respected Cabrera’s experience and professionalism during his two-plus months with them, but he hit only .229 in 49 games and his range made him best suited only for second.
Cabrera agreed to a one-year deal with the Rays around $8 million, according to the New York Post, which is a shorter and cheaper deal than he was thought to be worth at the start of the offseason because of the weak middle infield free agent class. He joins a crowded Rays infield with Ben Zobrist, Yunel Escobar, Logan Forsythe and Nick Franklin. With Cabrera in the fold, Zobrist and others could become expendable. The Rays could always hold on to the versatile Zobrist by placing him in the outfield, but why not capitalize on his value now? According to multiple reports, the Rays are indeed willing to trade Zobrist and Escobar. (Oddly enough, Zobrist and Cabrera are represented by the same agency, Octagon.) The Nationals have had interest in Zobrist but sensed, around the time of the winter meetings, that it would be too difficult to pry him away from the Rays. Zobrist, 33, is the kind of veteran and proven middle infielder that could help any team, and he instantly becomes one of the best impact players available.
Over the past six seasons, Zobrist has averaged .270/.364/.437 with 16 home runs and 76 RBI a season. Only two players have been worth at least 4.5 bWAR each season during that span: Miguel Cabrera and Zobrist. Zobrist, a two-time all-star, can play all over the field but has played mostly at second during his career. He can fill in at shortstop, left or right field when needed. He is a switch hitter, but his left-handed bat could add balance to the Nationals’ lineup. He is owed $7.5 million in 2015, the final year of his contract, an option year the Rays picked up this winter. Escobar, 32, was the Rays primary shortstop in 2014, had a down year hitting .258/.324/.340, is a right-handed hitter, hasn’t played second since 2007 and is under contract through 2016 with a $7 million option in 2017. Zobrist is the more desirable player. In his past deals, General Manager Mike Rizzo hasn’t often traded for players with only one year of control or less. The trade for Cabrera was the exception, a win-now deal needed to patch up the lineup after Ryan Zimmerman’s hamstring injury.
The Nationals’ window to compete for a World Series with this talented group of players has shrunk to 2015, the only season players such as Jordan Zimmermann, Ian Desmond, Doug Fister, Denard Span and Tyler Clippard are all under contract together. Perhaps the Nationals could make that one final push for 2015 and trade for Zobrist. The Nationals and Rays have made several deals over the years, and the Rays would presumably want young players for Zobrist. But the Nationals could dangle Clippard, who is owed between $8-9 million in his final year of arbitration. The Nationals’ payroll isn’t expected to rise much in 2015 so trading Clippard would free up salary for an addition such as Zobrist. (Franklin, who the Rays acquired in the David Price deal, is younger, can play shortstop and second, and comes with six years of control, so he would command much more in a trade.) Should the Rays decide to keep Zobrist or the Nationals lose out on him, they have in-house candidate Danny Espinosa.
The Nationals did win the division with him as the primary second baseman in 2012, but he is now working on batting exclusively right-handed. Dan Uggla and Ian Stewart appear, for now, like spring training depth or bench options. Kevin Frandsen threw his hat into the ring for the second base competition, but he is most useful to the Nationals in his super utility role. Wilmer Difo will be in spring training but is perhaps a year or two away. The Nationals have a potential shortstop (or second) replacement for Desmond in Trea Turner but he is also years away and not even in the system yet. The options for 2015 are thin.SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER Wicked winter weather continues to freeze much of the country, but baseball is only a couple of months away. With that in mind, I talked to Tampa Bay Rays All-Star Ben Zobrist and his wife Julianna Zobrist about the upcoming season and their life together. No matter the temperature outside, the Zobrists can easily warm your heart. Ben and Julianna are great Christian role models.
While Ben plays baseball, Julianna is an up and coming singer. They are the parents of two little ones and they spread the word of Christ in all they do. In April a new book will hit the shelves called Double Play. It was written by Ben Zobrist along with his wife and Mike Yorkey, best-selling author of Every Man’s Battle and Linspired: The Remarkable Rise of Jeremy Lin. The book gives readers an up close and personal look at the Zobrist family and their incredible devotion to God, family, music, and baseball. Double Play comes out just around the start of the 2014 MLB season. Ben Zobrist has high hopes for his Rays this year, especially with relief pitcher Grant Balfour now in the fold. One thing that remains the same is the man piloting the Rays. Joe Maddon has been the manager of the club since 2006 and he has led Tampa to the postseason four teams, including an AL pennant in 2008. Maddon is really unlike any other manager in the big leagues. From the way he deals with the press to the moves he makes on the field, he is truly an original.
Zobrist loves to play for him. Maddon’s personal relationships with his players are also an important component. “Another thing that sets him apart is his ability to give his players freedom to be who they are,” Zobrist said. “He knows how to get out of the way, as you might say and just try to let them be the best player they can be and see how that fits in with the club.” You could say the Maddon-Zobrist partnership has been a perfect fit. That type of relationship has worked out well for Zobrist and the Rays organization. The switch-hitting Zobrist has played all over the diamond for Maddon and has helped the never say die Rays thrive. The feelings of respect are mutual. Joe Maddon has been quoted as saying Zobrist lacks “chrome.” In other words, no hot dogging here. Maddon has also called the man he nicknamed “Zorilla,” a “winner” and a player any manager would want on his team. Above all, like Zobrist, Maddon is a good guy. I can attest to this personally.
Back in 2006 when I was coaching youth softball, my team wanted to be called the Rays. A friend of mine knew Mike Scioscia, who put him in touch with Maddon. When Maddon heard about my girls choosing to be the Rays, back when the real Tampa team was not very good, he sent us a signed photo and a box filled with souvenir glasses that looked just like the specs Maddon wears. As you can imagine, the team had a lot of fun wearing them. Maddon reached out, just because. Ben Zobrist is not a solo act. He and his wife Julianna are the package deal. They made a commitment a long time ago to never be apart for more than six days at a time. They continue to stick to that pact, which isn’t easy when the season starts up again. And especially more so now that they have a two-year old daughter and four-year old son. “It’s a whole new ball game now with kids,” Julianna Zobrist told Breitbart Sports. “The main change has been me getting on a lot of flights with the kids to meet Ben in different cities.”
Once there, more challenges are faced. Every year the Zobrists pack up and move to Port Charlotte for Spring Training. Then they rent in Tampa for the baseball season. At the end of the year, they pack it all up again and head back to Nashville, their home base. But, they wouldn’t trade it for the world. Julianna Zobrist loves to see the reaction her children have when they head in to Tropicana Park on game days. “When we walk into the stadium, our son just takes off, holds doors open, says hi to all the security guards by name and the elevator ladies by name,” she said. “It really becomes your own little community and family.” Although the little Zobrists are quite young and don’t realize the magnitude of the Major Leagues, Ben and Julianna know the kids will look back at these days fondly down the road. “Getting to see their dad play is very unique,” said Julianna Zobrist. “Of course they get restless sometimes, sitting in their seats, but its so worth it to see what their dad does.
On certain occasions they get to be on the field or run the bases. These are memories that will last a lifetime.” Not only do the Zobrist kids get to see their dad on the field, they sometimes get to see mom out there too. Julianna Zobrist is a very talented Christian singer, and she’s performed “The Star Spangled Banner” before Rays games. Coinciding with the release of Double Play, Julianna is also recording music. Just like the woman herself, her music delivers a hopeful message of faith. Both Ben and Julianna are pastor’s kids from the heartland. Their relationship is strong and Christ-centered. They compliment each other beautifully. Their new book is really a must-read not only because of the very honest and transparent content, but because of the way it is written. The autobiography features sixteen chapters with split narratives. Ben and Julianna each give their unique take on life events, obstacles along the way, and their love of God. For now, the Zobrists are enjoying the last few weeks of the off season.