Alex Cabrera to Giants?

First off, here's a link to the article from Sports Nippon via Yahoo! Japan Sports. (in Japanese)

Apparently this is about money from what I could gather from the article. As you stated, Cabrera is a free agent after this season, and is looking for some compensation for his performance, and the fact that Seibu won the Nippon Series last year. He is currently in the 2nd year of a 2 year contract paying him 400 million yen a year, and feels that a move to the Giants will give him a bigger salary, as Seibu is currently in a bit of financial trouble.

This isn't the exact same situation that Tuffy Rhodes faced before moving from Kintetsu to Yomiuri, but I wouldn't be surprised if this means that Seibu might be in more financial trouble than they are letting on. This might just be speculation, but remember when Tuffy Rhodes couldn't get the multi-year contract that he was asking for, the next year Kintetsu merged with Orix.

I can see other sports papers boasting about how the Giants will have the "Best HR Combo in History", or other headlines, but remember that the season is only half way through, and that players change their minds often. Maybe Cabrera is just saying all of this to put a scare into Seibu to dish out a little more money.

On the other hand, a while back I was reading rumors that Tuffy Rhodes would be leaving the Giants after this year, and that Softbank was going to try hard to lure Hiroki Kokubo back to Fukuoka. If that happens I'm sure the Giants would love to get their hands on Cabrera, and could easily outbid anybody.

Seibu players are very much dissatisfied at the moment. They won the Japan series and did not see the expected increases. Seibu would sell the team if they could but are insisting that the buyer keeps the ground and this has driven potential buyers away. I don't think that Seibu are going to put any more money on the table anytime soon.

The Giants can buy as many HR batters as they want easily but need to do something about their pitching staff. They currently lead the Central League in home runs but are in a comfortable fifth place.

- Seibu would sell the team if they could but are insisting that the buyer keeps the ground and this has driven potential buyers away.

I don't see Seibu selling the team at all, because they have declined every sale proposal given to them. The Usen Corporation talked about it last year. I think those talks died down right before last season ended. Invoice then bought the names to the dome and to Seibu's minor league team.

I just don't see why, Seibu doesn't sell the team to Livedoor. They have the innovation and willpower to bring change to the current operations.

Seibu wants the buyer to retain the grounds and not move the team. No potential buyer wants to accept such a condition, hence the inability to sell.

- Seibu wants the buyer to retain the grounds and not move the team.

I just don't see how the current stadium is feasible. And if I'm not mistaken, doesn't Seibu have a amusement park near the premises of the Seibu Dome, too? If there was a deal to sell the Seibu Lions, would they want the buyer to take on that, too?

It wasn't mentioned at the time potential buyers were considering the purchase. The stadium isn't feasible at all but if the Lions were sold and stayed there Seibu Railways would be transporting the people who did travel to matches without the liability of paying for the team.

Hi,

I'm friends with Alex and talk to him frequently after home games. Talked to him yesterday and he says that he wants to stay with Seibu. He thinks he can hit over 50 home runs if he played in the Central League. I asked him if he is considering the Giants and he said that Tokyo Dome is one of the easiest places to hit home runs. He thinks the Central League pitchers try to challenge you more and throw strikes. He is displease with the Pacific League pitchers throwing balls a foot inside of the plate and the umpires calling them strikes.

If you have any questions, please feel free to ask anytime as long as it's not about his personal life.

Dean

Hi Dean.

My Name is Pooky Gomez, and I work for a wooden baseball bat company called Maxbats. I would like to get a bat to Alex. If you talk to him, tell him that I'm a freind of Luis Landaeta. If there's anything I can do to help him, I would be happy. He may e-mail me at pookygomez at hotmail d0t com.

Thank you. Tell him that Ramon Hernandez says Hello.

Hi Dean.

Please tell Alex from all Lions' fans that we sorely want him to stay for as long as possible. He is a true Seibu legend!

Money is not everything in life, loyalty is!

Kevin Green

I hope he stays with Seibu. As for money not being everything, I guess you've never seen the price of steak on the Ginza.

I'm sorry to see Seibu doing so poorly, but having read some of what's here, I think I know why. Sometimes "Gambare" just isn't enough. Team morale must be low. (Sigh).

I suppose this one is the type of season that tests the fans' loyalty as well as players. I'll keep hangin' in, simply because Seibu has been, and will always be, one of my favorite memories of Japan.