While the club isn’t commenting on the situation, CSNBayArea.com’s Andrew Baggarly says all indications are that the Giants won’t bring Melky Cabrera back should they advance in the postseason.
According to Baggarly, Cabrera recently reached out to Giants officials to find out when and if he should report to the club’s minor league complex to prepare for the postseason. Cabrera’s 50-game PED suspension will include the first five games of the postseason, but he’d be eligible to return afterwards, presumably for the NLCS and World Series if the Giants advance.
As is, it sounds like the Giants would rather go it without him, even though they’ve yet to come up with a regular left fielder in his absence. It’s also worth noting that they’re currently using Guillermo Mota out of the pen even though he served a 100-game PED suspension as a repeat offender this year.
If he’s given the chance to face some live pitching in the couple of weeks leading to a potential NLCS, one presumes Cabrera would be an upgrade for the Giants. The free-agent-to-be hit .346/.390/.516 in 459 at-bats prior to his suspension and he seems set to claim the NL batting title unless Andrew McCutchen heats back up.