Miguel Cabrera

Instead of just focusing on fantasy primers like yahoo, I am going to devote my writing to baseball topics and then include relevant fantasy info. That seems the way to go so I don't burn myself out this year.

Miguel Cabrera. MLB MVP candidate. Tigers 1st baseman and HR/RBI machine. Dabbler in the drink. These things aptly describe one of the best 1st baseman in the MLB. In essence, Miguel Cabrera has a drinking problem and needs help. With 2 strikes (DUIs) under his belt, he's one strike away from being called out and sent to the slammer. This needs to be fixed, big time. I heard recently that there was talk of Miggy have a "sponser" or teammate to tail him to make sure he doesn't partake in any more DUIs. I don't think sponsership is enough. If I am Jim Leyland, or the Tigers organization, I sit Miggy down and say the following:

"Fix this, or you're benched."

Harsh? maybe. Necessary? Definitely. Miggy is the cornerstone of the Tiger's offense and of the Tigers organization. Players drink all the time. But you NEED TO BE RESPONSIBLE IF YOU DO SO. Don't drive. It's that simple. Miggy doesn't have the money for a cab? Or a friend can't let him pass out in the back seat of his Escalade? Are Escalade's out of style yet? Cause they should be. Anyway, Miggy is already 28. He's an adult. He should understand the consequences of these actions. But apparently, he doesn't. It cause him to show up late to spring training. He needs to get sober. And fast. With Morneau and Nathan coming back to the Twins, the Tigers are going to need more than Victor Martinez to spring them ahead of the Twins for the Central. They need Miggy's leadership and numbers. And the Tigers won't get them if Miggy ends up in the local jail cell. The Tigers need to AGGRESSIVELY push Miggy to get clean.

As for a fantasy perspective, Miggy's numbers should be amazing as normal. Watch this spring to see how he reacts to the media attention. Let's see if all this attention and drama takes a toll on him. I know he's a big guy, but he was looking kinda husky in today's Braves v. Tigers game. I am sure he will be ready for the regular season and let's see if this second DUI is a driving force for another MVP-type season. He should be a lock for 35 HR, 110 RBI, 90 runs, and a .300+ BA.