The infielder will likely see significant time at second base for Baltimore.
The Orioles are finalizing a one-year, major-league contract with infielder Everth Cabrera, as was first reported by Eduardo Encina of the Baltimore Sun. The deal is currently pending a physical, and is expected to be worth around $2.4 million once finalized.
Cabrera, 28, was non-tendered by the Padres earlier this offseason as one of the team's first moves in their offseason overhaul. He hit just .232/.272/.300 with three home runs in 90 games for the Padres last year, just one year removed from an All-Star season in which he hit .283/.355/.381 with four home runs and 37 steals in 95 games before being sidelined for most of the season due to a suspension resulting from the Biogenesis investigation. He has been involved in criminal matters within the last year, likely causing his free-agent market to thin out before the Orioles scooped him out on a low-cost, low-risk deal.
For the O's, Cabrera will likely provide depth behind J.J. Hardy at shortstop while seeing significant time at second base, which is currently projected to be manned by Ryan Flaherty and Jonathan Schoop. There has been some speculation that Schoop or Flaherty could be traded at some point during spring training, which would open the door for Cabrera to become the team's starting second baseman.
In six seasons with the Padres, Cabrera is a lifetime .248/.319/.333 hitter with twelve home runs and 136 stolen bases.