Shortstop Comparisons

Time to update how Orlando Cabrera and Nomar Garciaparra have done since being traded.

Cabrera - 55 G / 221 AB / 31 R / 5 HR / 27 RBI / .294 BA / .773 OPS

Nomar - 41 G / 156 AB / 26 R / 4 HR / 19 RBI / .301 BA / .836 OPS

Cabrera is better on defense and more importantly he has been healthy and available for the Red Sox - so even if the trade was straight up Cabrera would have been the better value. I have to wonder if the Cubs traded for Cabrera (which was their original intention) if they would be in the playoffs right now.

I also think it is worth noting Miguel Tejada's performance.

Tejada - 105 R / 33 HR / 146 RBI / .312 BA / .896 OPS

Tejada signed with Baltimore for 6-years at $12 million per year last off-season (and many thought the Orioles overpaid just to get someone to sign in Baltimore). Garciaparra is hoping for a contract north of $15 million per year but I think his days of matching Tejada's above stat line are behind him. Nomar would be lucky to match Tejada's $12 mill per year (maybe 3-years $36 million from the Cubs). My guess is that he gets greedy but doesn't get the offer he's looking for (unless the Yankees throw a ton of money at Nomar to make him a second basemen). Best guess is that Nomar ends up accepting arbitration from the Cubs.