Melky Cabrera is perhaps the best available outfielder on the free agent market, but he's having trouble finding a team because of his contract demands. He wants at least a four-year deal and would prefer one for five years, whereas his suitors don't feel the same way.
The Seattle Mariners and Baltimore Orioles are apparently the top suitors for Cabrera, with the Kansas City Royals and San Francisco Giants involved as well. The Mariners and Orioles have made it clear they are not willing to offer Cabrera a four-year contract and they're two teams in serious need of a corner outfielder. The 30-year-old Cabrera has some baggage due to injuries over the past seasons and a PED suspension in 2012.
First, Bob Dutton of the Tacoma News Tribune reported how the Mariners felt about Cabrera:
"Cabrera, 30, is seeking a five-year deal believed to be in the $60 million range, while the Mariners appear unwilling to move beyond three years. The Mariners are also unlikely to offer Cabrera a higher annual salary than what [Nelson] Cruz received - $14 million over each of the next four years. If so, that means a three-year offer to Cabrera tops out at $42 million."
Seattle is likely contemplating their next move because they were initially active on the market, signing Nelson Cruz to a four-year, $58 million contract, trading outfielder Michael Saunders to the Blue Jays for starter J.A. Happ, and keeping Kyle Seager on a seven-year, $100 million extension. They probably don't want to invest that much in Cabrera since they don't want to handicap themselves with older players (Cruz is 34 years old and Robinson Cano is 32 and signed through the 2023 season).
As for the Orioles, they simply don't break the bank for bigger name free agents and have had a payroll lower than the average for seven consecutive seasons. Heck, they wouldn't even sign Nick Markakis, who has been a workhorse for the franchise and ended up landing in Atlanta for just $44 million over four years. Their biggest contractual commitments next year are Adam Jones ($13.3 million), Ubaldo Jimenez ($12.25 million) and J.J. Hardy ($11.5 million), which brings their payroll to almost $53 million.
However, according to Eduardo A. Encina of the Baltimore Sun, the Orioles would consider Cabrera for 2 or 3 years, but they "ain't going 4." Both Cruz and Markakis wanted four-year deals from Baltimore and they let both of them depart via free agency, so it's hard to believe they'll give Cabrera such a contract.
The Royals and Giants have talked with Cabrera as well, but their stance is largely unknown. We know Cabrera will have a new team in 2015 because he's not interested in returning to the Blue Jays, but who will it be?