Melky Cabrera Hopes To Stay With The Yankees

If someone were to think that Melky Cabrera is the reason why the Yahkees didn't get Johan Santanam, they would be wrong. In fact, General Manager Brian Cashman's bigger concern was not giving up too much on the pitching front, like Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy.nnThe general feeling among the Yankees is that Cabrera is important to his teammates. Johnny Damon, Jorge Posada and the rest of the Yankees referred to Cabrera as being indispensable. Former manager, Joe Torre, always complimented Cabrera on his energy. Even Alex Rodriguez has taken Cabrera under his wing. The fact is that Cabrera has accomplished so much for his age and he's still growing. nnCabrera knows that there is a lot of things he needs to work on improving this year. For example, running bases, his batting, his defense as well as stealing bases. He stole thirteen bases last season and was caught stealing 5 times. However, he hopes to get more flexibility from new manager Joe Girardi this season. He did a lot of running during the offseason and also hopes to improve his instincts on the basepaths. Back home in the Dominican Republic, Cabrera used to work out with Robinson Cano but in New York, he tags along with Rodriguez.nnCabrera has reported feeling more prepared than ever before, who took over the centerfield spot from Damon last year and proved to have a powerful and accurate throwing arm. He says that he's always wanted to play every day and help the team. Cabrera finds comfort in knowing that, like Joe Torre, his new manager has showed confidence in him.nnThe Yankees, however, would like to see more consistency from Cabrera. He batted .200 in April, .254 in May and .180 in September. He also hit .298 in June, .368 in July and .306 in August, finishing with a .273 average, 8 home runs and 73 RBIs in 150 games.nnWith prospects such as Brett Gardner and Austin Jackson coming up through the minor leagues, Cabrera needs to keep improving to stay in position. Not that he has been stagnant the past two years. He has shown development in his outfield defense. He just needs to understand the game more, says Cashman.nnCabrera recognizes that he still needs to work on his English as well as being more outgoing. Despite his shortcomings, he's a favorite not just of Joe Torre and close friend Cano, but of Rodriguez, Mariano Rivera and Derek Jeter who calls him Leche. Underneath his quiet exterior, Cabrera knows exactly how lucky he is to be playing centerfield for the Yankees. Cabrera enjoys the fact that he's in the same place that Mickey Mantle, Joe DiMaggio, Bernie Williams and Johnny Damon were in. Girardi feels that the older he gets, the more he'll appreciate the other people who have been in his position. nnThats one of the reasons why Cabrera was concerned about the possibility that he might be traded to the Twins in a deal for Santana. If Cabrera had it his way, he would stay with the Yankees for the rest of his life the way Williams did.n