Orlando Cabrera Yankees Career Overview
Orlando Cabrera is a Colombian professional baseball infielder who played for the New York Yankees during the 2009 season. He joined the Yankees via trade from the Boston Red Sox, bringing defensive versatility and postseason experience to the roster. His time with the team included regular appearances at shortstop and second base during the regular season and postseason run. Cabrera's Yankees tenure is documented in MLB transaction records and team archives available on the official MLB website MLB.com.
During his Yankees stint, Cabrera posted a .238 batting average with 2 home runs and 20 RBI in 79 regular-season games. He also contributed in the 2009 postseason, appearing in multiple World Series games as a defensive replacement and pinch hitter. His defensive metrics, including range factor and error rate, were tracked by advanced analytics platforms that publish MLB player data Baseball-Reference.com.
Contract and Financial Details
Cabrera signed a one-year contract with the Yankees in 2009 worth $2.5 million, with performance bonuses tied to games played and postseason appearances. The deal was structured as a low-risk veteran minimum contract with incentives for plate appearances and defensive versatility. Financial details of the agreement are reported in MLB salary databases and team payroll disclosures.
The Yankees' payroll for the 2009 season exceeded $200 million, placing the team among the highest-spending franchises in Major League Baseball that year. Cabrera's salary represented a small fraction of the total payroll, reflecting the team's strategy of supplementing star power with experienced role players. MLB salary data and team financial reports are accessible through official league sources MLB Contracts.
Post-Yankees Career and Current Status
After his time with the Yankees, Cabrera continued playing in MLB for teams including the Oakland Athletics, Cincinnati Reds, and Montreal Expos. He retired from professional baseball following the 2011 season, concluding a career that spanned over a decade across multiple organizations. Post-retirement, Cabrera has remained involved in baseball through coaching and community outreach programs in his home country of Colombia.
Cabrera's career statistics, including batting average, on-base percentage, and defensive metrics, are maintained by official MLB record-keeping systems. His postseason experience with the 2009 Yankees remains a notable part of his legacy, as the team won the World Series that year. Current player data and historical records are available through MLB's official statistics portal MLB Stats.