Miguel Cabrera likely won't be ready for the start of spring training as he continues to recover from ankle/foot surgery he underwent in October. Meanwhile, the Chicago White Sox have avoided arbitration with one of their young outfielders.
According to Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press, Cabrera only began putting partial weight on his right ankle before Christmas and he's wearing a boot until he sees doctors in mid-February. Kevin Rand, the team's medical director and head athletic trainer, told Fenech that the two-time MVP won't be ready for the start of spring training, but right now it's too soon to tell for Opening Day.
Cabrera underwent surgery on his right ankle in October to remove bone spurs and also his right foot to repair a stress fracture. The 31-year-old has a lot of wear-and-tear on his body since he's played in at least 148 games since his first full MLB season in 2004. Although the news that he'll be missing the start of spring training is nothing to worry about, it could be troublesome if the start of his season is pushed beyond Opening Day. Detroit already has enough to worry about with what to do with David Price and whether or not to re-sign Max Scherzer.
Also in the AL Central, the Chicago White Sox avoided arbitration with outfielder Dayan Viciedo after the two sides agreed to a one-year, $4.4 million contract, according to Doug Padilla of ESPNChicago.com. In five seasons with the White Sox, the 25-year-old has slashed .254/.298/.424 with 66 home runs and 2011 RBIs (483 games). His best season came in 2012 when he batted .255/.300/.444 with 25 home runs and 78 RBIs.
However, this offseason the Cuban defector has been the subject of trade talks ever since the White Sox signed outfielder Melky Cabrera to a three-year, $42 million contract. Chicago also has Adam Eaton and Avisail Garcia in the outfield, and the declining performance of Viciedo has likely made him the leading candidate to be traded. It was reported earlier in the offseason that the White Sox were in serious discussions with the Seattle Mariners regarding a trade for Viciedo, but nothing ever came to fruition.
Perhaps now a trade is more appealing to others clubs since they won't have to negotiate a contract with the outfielder for the 2015 season. He's under club control through the 2017 season, which also an attractive aspect for other clubs interested in his services.
