Still Working on Cabrera

Cubs general manager Jim Hendry continued Thursday to work on acquiring a shortstop. Not the Boston Red Sox' Nomar Garciaparra, however, but the Montreal Expos' Orlando Cabrera. Not as sexy, perhaps, but how appealing has catcher Michael Barrett been since crossing the Canadian border and finding himself in Chicago with a .296 average, 12 home runs and 47 RBI?

If you want to doubt Cabrera, you also have to admit that former Expo Barrett had plenty of skeptics after joining the Cubs last winter. Those second-guessers are now in hiding.

Yeah ummmm there are some differences to take in to account.

1. Barrett is 27, Cabrera is 29.
2. Barrett never played a full season, Cabrera has started the last 4 years and his numbers are unimpressive.
3. Barrett was still learning a new position and there were questions about his durability behind the plate. While that has yet to be answered still with Barrett, Cabrera has no such excuse of learning a new position.

At age 29 Cabrera really should be showing us more than what he has been. I don't buy that hog wash that it is because he is playing in Montreal and wants out is the reason his numbers stink. The reason his numbers stink is because he stinks.