The Pittsburgh Pirates have claimed catcher Ramon Cabrera from the Detroit Tigers, according to Jason Beck of MLB.com.
Ramon Cabrera claimed off waivers by Pirates. Erie catcher DFA'ed by #Tigers to make room for Farmer on 40-man.
— Jason Beck (@beckjason) August 13, 2014
If that name sounds familiar, it’s because Cabrera was traded by the Pirates to the Tigers prior to the 2013 season, in exchange for Andy Oliver. Cabrera has spent most of his time in Double-A with the Tigers since the trade. He had a .780 OPS last year, and has a .687 OPS this year, with a drop in his OBP. He hasn’t hit for much power in his career, but does show a good ability to make contact, along with a good ability to get on base. He doesn’t have the best defense, making him an offense-first guy, with the upside of a depth option for the majors, or maybe a poor defensive backup. Cabrera was ranked 27th overall in Detroit’s system by Baseball America heading into the season.
The Pirates haven’t officially announced the move yet. They will have to make room on the 40-man roster before they add Cabrera.
The irony here is that Cabrera was removed from the 40-man roster by Detroit to make room for tonight’s starter against the Pirates, Buck Farmer.
