Whirlwind Of Questions Surrounding Padres Shortstop Everth Cabrera

In 2013, Padres shortstop Everth Cabrera was an All-Star and was looking like a future star for San Diego. With premium shortstops being at a high premium the Friars looked like they could have that position covered for the foreseeable future. But Cabrera got caught up into the Biogenesis Clinic steroid scandal and was suspended for the final months of the season. In 2014 he failed to live up to expectations, batting just .232 with 3 home runs and 20 RBI while hand injuries limited him to just 90 games. Now, the Padres budding star has left the team wondering if he has a future with the Friars at all.

Cabrera is just 27-years old and is under club control until 2017. He’s a very good defender with great speed and enough talent to hit for a high batting average. But he’s struggled mightily with injuries and his PED suspension would make any team weary. Was his 2013 season just the product of the steroids? Does that explain his down numbers in 2014? Who knows? His off the field exploits leave a lot to be desired. He was recently arrested for driving under the influence of marijuana. San Diego courts will decide if he will be charged or not in early December.

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Cabrera can promise change all he wants but it just hasn’t come. Will it ever come? At this point the team’s new General Manager A.J. Preller may just decide enough is enough and send him off, opting to sign one of the free agent shortstops like Asdrubal Cabrera, Stephen Drew, Jed Lowrie or well, even Hanley Ramirez.

Shipping him off somewhere wouldn’t be hard either but they won’t likely get much for him. Cabrera may have already squandered away his place on the Padres in 2015 and their future rebuilding effort. It happens when you’re suspended for steroids in the biggest scandal since BALCO (Look it up!) and then arrested for drug use.

What will the young shortstop’s fate entail? Non-tender? Trade Bait? At this point it’s far too uncertain.