Tribe’s Cabrera remains an unknown quantity

Tribe’s Cabrera remains an unknown quantity

A six-week sensation in 2007, but can he do as well for an entire season?

GATEHOUSE NEWS SERVICE

KISSIMMEE, Fla. — Is Asdrubal Cabrera a big-league infielder? Or was last season a mirage, a tease based on talent?

We’ll find out soon. Because now comes the hard part.

Cabrera began 2007 at Double-A Akron but ended it as Cleveland’s starting second baseman. Indians manager Eric Wedge prefers to speak cautiously when discussing the prospects of Cabrera continuing that quantum leap in 2008.

Opposing teams have now compiled a full scouting report on Cabrera. Players in their first full big-league season must also deal with the expectations rooted in the spectacular partial season that preceded it.

“Players are going to have peaks and valleys,” Wedge said Thursday. “It’s a given among players. With guys in their first full year, it’s a matter of helping them handle it. You stick with them and make sure they stay strong. He has a lot of work to do and a long way to go.”

Cabrera certainly looked strong enough last season when he gave the Indians exactly what they needed over the final six weeks.

There was little doubt about Cabrera’s defensive prowess when the Indians obtained him from Seattle in the 2006 trade for first baseman Eduardo Perez. His skills in the field were already of big-league caliber.

The question that needed to be answered concerned his hitting. He had been plainly rushed by the Mariners, pushed to Triple-A at age 19. He batted .234 for Tacoma, then .263 for Buffalo.

The Indians sent Cabrera back to Double-A last summer, not as a demotion, but for a shot of confidence. He was able to make adjustments against less advanced pitchers — adjustments he could then incorporate as a permanent part of his routine.

He batted .310 in Akron, .316 in nine games with Buffalo, then was promoted for good Aug. 7.

By Aug. 15, he had replaced struggling Josh Barfield as the everyday second baseman. By Aug. 25, he was batting second in the order. He hit .283 over 45 games with the Indians.

“He was in the middle of everything, offensively and defensively,” Wedge said. “He was a real big part of what we did.

“We didn’t call him up to play every day. He just ran with it.”

Will he be able to run again in 2008? Perhaps. Perhaps not. If Cabrera regresses, the Indians still have Barfield and veteran infielder Jamey Carroll as insurance.

“The true test will be how he handles it when he struggles the first time,” Wedge said. “You have to be comfortable with yourself. He’s guy who is very comfortable in his own skin.”