The Mets just announced they have signed lefty Genesis Cabrera to a minor league contract with an invite to spring training. Cabrera, 28, will look to pitch for his third team in the major leagues for the 2025 season.
The Mets currently have only Danny Young as a lefty reliever on the 40-man roster.
Cabrera has spent parts of six seasons pitching for the St. Louis Cardinals from 2019-2023 and for the Toronto Blue Jays from 2023-2024. In 2024, Cabrera pitched 62 2/3 innings with a 3.59 ERA but a much higher 5.13 FIP, striking out 50 batters while walking 29. Cabrera generated ground balls at a 42.6% rate but allowed hitters to slug .443 against him for a .791 OPS.
Cabrera relies on a five-pitch mix, including a four-seam fastball that touches 99 MPH with some good ride, but hitters ambushed it for a .392 average and .784 SLG% this past season. Cabrera also throws a cutter that he threw 39% of the time in 2024, and hitters struggled against it, hitting only .202. Cabrera’s sinker was also hit hard, allowing a .364 average but a much lower .582 SLG%. Lastly, he throws a changeup that he only threw to right-handed hitters in 2024 and a curveball that he primarily throws to righties but will drop some in against left-handed hitters.
Cabrera offers a big repertoire of pitches and, with some refinement, can hopefully unlock some of his potential. His four-seam fastball and sinker run up and in on lefties, while his curve is the only pitch that runs away from them. If Cabrera can find a more reliable strikeout pitch for lefties, he could look to put up much better numbers. Possibly locating and using his cutter like a slider could allow him to keep hitters off of his sinker/four-seam combination. It will be up to the Mets pitching coaches and lab to see if they can maximize his talent.
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