Meet A Prospect: Cesar Cabral

César Augusto Cabral was born on February 11, 1989 in the Dominican Republic. Cabral has bounced around quite a bit in his young career after originally signing with the Boston Red Sox as an amateur free agent. Cabral had a big bag of mixed success as a Red Sox farm hand beginning in 2006 when he made his professional debut going 1-4 with a 4.54 ERA in the Dominican Summer League. Cabral followed that up in 2007 as a starter with a 5-4 record and a 1.76 ERA once again in the DSL. Cabral was bumped up to the Gulf Coast League in 2008 and went 2-5 with a 5.59 ERA as a starter but struck out 51 batters in 48.1 IP. In 2009 another setback happened when Cabral went 1-6 with a 4.03 ERA which essentially ended his career as a starting pitcher. Cabral was sent to the bullpen in 2010 where he went 4-0 with a 3.63 ERA in 45 relief appearances striking out 80 batters in 79.1 IP. The LOOGY was born.

Cabral was in the Sox minor league system through 2010 when he was drafted by the Tampa Bay Rays in the Rule 5 Draft that November. Cabral was then claimed on waivers on March 12, 2011 only to be waived again and claimed by the Tampa Bay Rays again two days later on March 14. He lasted back in Tampa for two weeks to the day as on March 28 he was returned to Boston since he did not stick on the 25 man roster all season long, per the rules of the Rule 5 Draft. Cabral gave the Red Sox another 3-4 record with a 2.95 ERA in 36 relief appearances striking out 70 batters in only 55 IP in that 2011 season.

The Kansas City Royals selected Cabral in the Rule 5 Draft in 2011 and sold him to his current team the New York Yankees. Cabral found himself in a battle for the last bullpen spot with the Yankees in spring training with Clay Rapada before suffering a stress fracture in his left throwing elbow and missing the entire 2012 season. He was the early favorite to win the job out of spring and was pitching lights out in the Grapefruit League as a LOOGY. Cabral was activated off the 60 day DL and sent outright to the minors on June,14 2013 after clearing waivers and became property of the Yankees. Cabral was a September call up and made his Major League debut on September 2, 2013 against the Chicago White Sox throwing a scoreless 8^th inning and allowing a hit and striking out two. Now with Boone Logan out of the picture Cabral looks to be the Yankees left hand man heading into 2014 and looking to finally get that shot at the Major Leagues.