David Cone breaking Twitter silence to honor Yankees' Oswaldo Cabrera speaks volumes

David Cone doesn't use Twitter a whole lot these days, so when he does post something, you know he really means it. On Sept. 16, the New York Yankees opted to designate Oswaldo Cabrera for assignment. While certainly a hard pill for fans to swallow, it wasn't all that surprising of a move. 

With pitcher Clarke Schmidt returning from an injury that has cost him nearly the entire season, the Yankees needed to make room on the 40-man roster. Since Cabrera is a utility player who has seen his role evaporate in 2026, he was unfortunately the odd man out. With the emergence of Spencer Jones and the solid versatility of Jose Caballero, there just wasn't any room left on the roster. 

Regardless of the practicality of the move, it's never easy when a player like Cabrera is unceremoniously given the boot. Cone took to his sparingly-used Twitter account for a chance to say a few parting words about the longtime fan-favorite player. 

For a player who has appeared in just 37 games for the Yankees over the last two seasons, that is very high praise. It is also a reminder that at the end of the day, Major League Baseball is a business and organizations will do whatever they think is necessary to field the best roster possible ... even if that means sending a beloved player out to pasture. 

Oswaldo Cabrera quickly became a favorite throughout the Yankees' organization

When Cabrera first made his big league debut in 2022, he brought an infectious energy that was pretty much impossible to ignore. Fans noticed his hard play and positive attitude and embraced him almost immediately. Just look at Anthony Volpe this season. Fans will always appreciate a player putting in the work. With a career .635 OPS in the bigs, Cabrera was never the best player on the field, but he was easy to root for.    

The Yankees' decision to DFA Cabrera wasn't from anything he's done on the field in Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre this season. In 134 games, Cabrera belted 19 home runs and drove in 69 runs. He also hit .288 with a .790 OPS. The 2026 season was a massive bounce-back year for a player that some thought would never be the same again after last year. 

Cabrera suffered a devastating ankle injury in May 2025 while the Yankees were playing the Seattle Mariners. The utility player was attempting to avoid a tag at home plate when his foot awkwardly bent the wrong way on his slide attempt. After being taken away from the field by ambulance, he was diagnosed with a fractured ankle, ending his season. 

Despite working his way back from the injury, Cabrera was never quite able to overcome a crowded roster. But much like Cone’s Twitter post, Yankees manager Aaron Boone had nothing but positive things to say about Cabrera following the recent roster move. 

“The good thing is Oswaldo’s come back from a very difficult injury and had a really good year down in Triple-A,” Boone told reporters. “He’s playing really well. So hopefully this is just one of those things, and I'm confident that Oswaldo will go on to have a very good career. Hopefully it's still with us.” 

If Cabrera is claimed by another team, he would be under club control for three more seasons. With an affordable $1.2 million salary and the ability to play all over the field, it would actually make a lot of sense for a team in need of a utility player to pick him up, especially one in the middle of a rebuild.  However, if he does go unclaimed, you can bet that Yankees fans would be thrilled to welcome him back.   

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