Yanks Interested In Cabrera

Like a shunned girlfriend on the rebound, the New York Yankees are already [expressing interest] in Florida’s Miguel Cabrera to replace Alex Rodriguez at third base. A-Rod and the Yankees’ four-year, tumultuous relationship ended last week with [their messy divorce](http://nypress.com/blogx/display_blog.cfm?bid=22801141), but Rodriguez and his agent Scott Boras were thinking New York would change their minds and rejoin the A-Rod talks even after he opted out. Well, I guess they thought wrong.

At the general managers meetings in Orlando yesterday, where the Florida Marlins are dangling their All-Star third baseman as trade fodder, Yankees personnel have already voiced their fondness of Cabrera. “He’s a great player, a smart player,” said new Yankees manager Joe Girardi, who managed Cabrera in 2006. “He really understands the game of baseball. I was impressed in how mature he was as a hitter at a young age, his approach on a daily basis. I did not have any problems with him. He worked hard for me.”

Translation: He’d replace A-Rod just fine. It’s by no means a done deal, however. The Marlins’ price tag is awfully high. They’re looking for a centerfielder and young pitching, which means they’d probably ask for Melky Cabrera and either Phil Hughes or Joba Chamberlain. The Yankees would be reluctant to part with that much young talent, but after Cabrera, there are not many options for them. If A-Rod is the [Cristal] of this offseason’s third-baseman market, and Cabrera is the Cabaret Sauvignon, their next option, Wilson Betemit, is the Keystone Light.