Not surprising news, but news anyway. Blue Jays manager John Gibbons told the media assemblage before Thursday's afternoon game against the Yankees that starting pitcher Brandon Morrow and Melky Cabrera, who stands in left field, are both done for the 2013 season.
Morrow, 29, was transferred onto the 60-day disabled list on August 1 with an entrapped radial nerve, but he hadn't played a major league game since May 28. Gibbons mused briefly that Morrow might come back for the last week of the season, but most of us knew that wasn't going to happen. Morrow has had a disappointing season to say the least, going 2-3 with a 5.63 ERA in just 10 starts for the Blue Jays. His strikeout rate has dropped precipitously from 28.3% to 26.1% to 21.4% to 17.4% over the past four seasons. Morrow was owed $8 million this season, and the same next season. The Blue Jays will have to decide after next season whether to pick up a $10 million club option for 2015.
Cabrera, who is owed the same amount for 2013 and 2014 as Morrow (no club option for 2015 though), has been in and out of the lineup the whole year with general running suckage. At the plate he went from .346/.390/.516 in 2012 to .279/.332/.360 this season in 88 games played, the fewest in his career (save his cup of coffee in 2005). Surprisingly, he just turned 29 years old a week and a half ago, so there's still hope in him yet if he rests up and gets into shape for spring, especially with the Blue Jays' recent luck with 29-year old Dominicans.
If Cabrera is indeed done, the Jays can create room on the 40-man roster by transferring him to the 60-day disabled list.
One piece of good news is that Colby Rasmus is set to resume "baseball activities" on Monday. He'd be a nice addition to the Bisons outfield for their final week of the season.
UPDATE: I missed this tweet from Barry Davis. Thanks to Andrew Stoeten for pointing it out:
Gibbons doesn't expect Morrow or Cabrera to play again this yr. Delabar, McGowan, Bautista, Rasmus and Izturis are expected back. #bluejays
— Barry Davis (@SNBarryDavis) August 22, 2013