A Dominican Republic newspaper is reporting the Diamondbacks have reached an agreement with free-agent pitcher Daniel Cabrera, but Cabrera’s agent, Mike Powers, says the sides have not yet come to terms on a deal.
“We’re having active discussions is the best way to describe it,” Powers said this morning. “We’ve been talking to a number of teams over the last couple of weeks.”
Diamondbacks General Manager Josh Byrnes did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment.
Powers said he and the Diamondbacks were discussing whether it would be a minor league or a major league deal.
According to Candela Deportiva, Cabrera has agreed to terms with the Diamondbacks and will first report to Triple-A Reno to start two or three games before coming to the majors.
Powers said Cabrera has been working out in the Dominican Republic since he was designated for assignment by the Washington Nationals in late May.
Cabrera has long been more about potential than results. A hard-throwing right-hander whose fastball used to sit in the mid-to-upper 90s, Cabrera has struggled to harness his stuff his entire big league career.
He had a 5.85 ERA in nine games (eight starts) with the Nationals before his release. He had a 5.55 ERA in 34 starts in 2007 and a 5.25 ERA in 30 starts in 2008 with Baltimore, where he spent the first five years of his career.
When the Nationals parted ways with Cabrera in May, Washington’s active general manager, Mike Rizzo, did not mince words about the frustrating Cabrera.
“You have to put your best 25 players on the roster that are giving you a chance to win,” Rizzo said. “I look beyond the contract and look at the execution and performance of the player, and it wasn’t up to par. I was tired of watching him.”
Cabrera signed a one-year, $2.6 million deal before the season.
