MLB Player News

The two years that have passed since Asdrubal Cabrera was a premier offensive force as a middle infielder and the five years that have gone by since he played second base all but precludes him from making a major positive impact with the Nationals.

Cabrera slipped into mediocrity at the plate after earning his second All-Star Game appearance in 2012 and has stayed there. His plate discipline disappeared in a spate of overaggressiveness, causing his strikeouts to rise to alarming levels. He frustrated the Indians in recent years with his inability to hit in the clutch - he's batting .188 with runners in scoring position and is hitless in 13 at-bats with a runner on third and two outs this season.

More disturbing has been his defensive collapse. Cabrera wowed the Indians early in his career with acrobatic, dependable work at shortstop that overshadowed mediocre range. He is now among the worst middle infielders in the sport with 14 errors that was until recently the most at his position in the American League and arguably the worst range in the league. That problem will not be any less pronounced with a move to second base, where he is expected to spend most of his time in Washington.

Cabrera will be seeking to maximize his value in free agency in the offseason. He will command $10 million a year or more if he somehow reverts to the form that made him an all-star. Too much time has passed for that to be a realistic possibility.

The only unusual aspect of another big game for White Sox slugger Jose Abreu on Thursday was that he neither scored nor drove in a run. Other than that - typical Abreu.

The breakout star doubled twice, singled and walked twice in helping his team defeat Detroit. Abreu extended his hitting streak to 20 and has hit safely in 38 of his last 39 games. He leads the majors in home runs with 31 and RBI with 83.

Astros designated hitter Chris Carter is back in the lineup Thursday against the Blue Jays, afterhe was forced out Wednesday due to an illness.

Carter is in his usual spot, batting third and serving as the DH after his one-day absence. 

A matchup against Washington southpaw Gio Gonzalez and a mini-slump have Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard out of the lineup Thursday.

Howard, who has just one hit in his last 12 at-bats, is batting .229 agaisnt left-handers and is 0 for 11 lifetime against Gonzalez.

The Indians have traded shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera to the Nationals prior to Thursday's trade deadline, according to MLB.com.

Cabrera has been considered a likely candidate to be traded leading up to the deadline, as he is stuck in his second down season in a row. Cabrera is hitting .246/.305/.386 with nine home runs and 40 RBI in 97 games for the Indians. 

The Mariners are considered a "sleeper" team in trade talks involving Indians shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera, according to ESPN analyst Buster Olney.

Diamondbacks prolific first baseman Paul Goldschmidt wiped out a scoreless tie in the sixth inning Wednesday in Cincinnati with a two-run homer that put his team ahead to stay.

Despite his first homer since July 19, Goldschmidt is scuffling a bit. He has just seven hits in his last 39 at-bats as his stat line has been weakened to a still-fine .301/.396/.545.

The Astros are looking to trade DH Chris Carter, according to the New York Post. Carter is batting .212 with 111 strikeouts in 92 games, but he has 21 homers and is slugging .474.

The Post reports the Astros would also be willing to listen to trade offers for starting pitchers Jarred Cosart, Dallas Keuchel and Collin McHugh.

Astros outfielder Chris Carter, who has slumped a bit after a hot streak, has been scratched from the Wednesday afternoon lineup against visiting Oakland with an illness.

Carter has one hit in his last 12 at-bats, is on a roll in general with two home runs and nine RBI in his last nine games.

White Sox first baseman Jose Abreu continued his hot hitting Tuesday, in an 11-4 win over the Tigers.

Abreu drove in four runs in the massive performance, as he strung together his third multi-hit effort in the last four games. He went 3 for 4 with a two-run home run, and then followed that up with a two-run double in the eighth inning. He also scored twice in the blowout win.

Abreu has been red-hot for the last two months, and has taken his game to another level. He is hitting .359/.412/.652 in the month of July, raising his season batter average to .299.