If you're competing for a starting (or, at least, prominent) role on the new-look New York Yankees, there are worse places to begin your year than on the dais in front of the BBWAA, 2024's award winners, and Barry Bonds.
That's where Oswaldo Cabrera found himself over the weekend, as America's baseball writers closed one season and turned the page to the next. That's exactly what Cabrera will be looking to do, too, as he attempts to valiantly close a hole that's opened up on the Yankees' infield by making a concentrated leap.
It's every Yankee fan's preference, of course, that Brian Cashman and Hal Steinbrenner finish what they started and add an infield piece to push Cabrera back down the depth chart into the super utility role, where he's alternated excellence and modest competence. Still, that all hinges on a Marcus Stroman trade; until New York is able to rid themselves of some portion of Stroman's burdensome money, the third base spot will come down to Cabrera and DJ LeMahieu. Fans are united in support of an obvious favorite in that head-to-head battle.
And so, as he potentially trips closer to New York's spotlight, it's fitting that Cabrera was honored by the writers for his meritorious service in 2024, grabbing a slice of the ceremony all for himself. In a way, it sort of felt like he was announcing that he was here to make a more prominent impact on the field after leading the way off of it last season.
Congratulations to Oswaldo Cabrera, the recipient of the 2024 Joan Payson & Shannon Forde Award for Community Service 👏 pic.twitter.com/HzdTuCdTnm
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) January 26, 2025
Yankees' Oswaldo Cabrera earned the New York Baseball Writers' 2024 Community Service Award
The last we heard of Cabrera before his big night, he was surprisingly mired in trade rumors, which sounded nightmarish. After all, why would the Yankees thin out their infield depth even further in lieu of a master plan?
While this weekend's event was no guarantee of Cabrera gaining long-term security, it certainly felt like a bit of a coming out party for his boisterous and affable personality. While he may have been upstaged by Grimace, his message of hope lingered; according to those in attendance, he finished his speech with a reminder that anyone among us, at any position or level of prominence, has the opportunity to make a difference in their community.
That may be true, but Cabrera might be on the verge of being spotlit more significantly and opening additional eyes next season. His 107 wRC+ against right-handed pitching in 2024 was a good place to start. So was his prominent spot on the stage in front of New York's biggest winners over the weekend.