Alberto Cabrera

Note: This page discusses 2010s major league pitcher Alberto Cabrera. For the contemporary Costa Rican national team pitcher of the same name, click here.

Alberto Antonio Cabrera

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 4", Weight 210 lb.

• Debut August 1, 2012
• Final Game September 27, 2013
• Born October 25, 1988 in Las Matas de Farfan, San Juan, D.R.

BR page

Biographical Information

Alberto Cabrera made 32 appearances with the Chicago Cubs in two seasons. He is the brother of Mauricio Cabrera, who made his big league debut in 2016.

Cabrera signed with the Chicago Cubs in July 2005; the scouts were Jose Serra and Sandy Nin. He made his pro debut the next summer with the DSL Cubs, going 5-6 with a 2.27 ERA, striking out 55 and walking 18 in 71 1/3 innings. He tied for 8th in the Dominican Summer League in losses. He fell to 3-3, 5.40 in his first season in the US, with the 2007 Boise Hawks, while battling shoulder problems. He spent 2008 with the Peoria Chiefs, going 4-6 with a 5.71 ERA with nearly as many walks (30) as strikeouts (37) in 52 innings. Back with Peoria in 2009, the 20-year-old made some progress, going 8-2 with a save and a 4.48 ERA. He walked 54 and threw 16 wild pitches (tied for fifth most in the Midwest League) in 96 1/3 innings. He split 2010 between the Daytona Cubs (7-5, 3.28) and Tennessee Smokies (0-4, 6.33, 1.90 WHIP). He threw 20 wild pitches for the year, the most of any Cubs minor leaguer. Even still, Chicago added him to their 40-man roster that winter.

In 2011, Cabrera struggled with Tennessee (6-2, 5.36) and the Iowa Cubs (3-6, 6.60) with a 1.84 WHIP combined, walking 74, throwing 15 wild pitches and allowing a .322 average. He was second in the Chicago chain in walks and tied for second in wild pitches. That winter, he was 0-1 with a 4.74 ERA for the Toros del Este. A lberto began 2012 back with the Smokies, now as a reliever and doing better (2-1, 5 saves, 2.52 in 23 games, 45 strikeouts in 35 2/3 innings). Returning to Iowa, he was 2-0 with a 4.19 ERA and 29 strikeouts after 19 1/3 innings but with a .337 average allowed after posting a .217 mark for Tennessee. He was still called up to The Show when Chicago dealt away Paul Maholm and Ryan Dempster at the trading deadline and moved reliever Casey Coleman to the rotation, opening a spot in the bullpen.

In his MLB debut on August 1, 2012, Cabrera relieved Shawn Camp with a 7-1 deficit in the 8th, two on and none out against the Pittsburgh Pirates. He had a fine inning, retiring Alex Presley on a fly ball then striking out both fellow rookie Starling Marte and Josh Harrison to escape the jam; Carlos Marmol relieved him in the 9th. Alberto went 1-1, 5.40 in 25 games, with 27 strikeouts in 21 2/3 innings, but also 18 walks. In 2013, he pitched 7 times for the Cubs, with no decisions, a 4.50 ERA, and 4 strikeouts and 5 walks in 6 innings. That season, he struggled as a reliever in AAA with the Iowa Cubs, as he went 1-3, 7.08 in 15 games. As a starter at Tennessee, he was much better, going 9-3, 3.20 in 18 starts. He was back as a reliever in Iowa in 2014, and went 4-2, 3.29 in 40 games, with 2 saves. He showed better control, with 61 strikeouts and 30 walks in 65 2/3 innings, but he was not called back to the big leagues. After the season, he became a free agent and joined the Detroit Tigers organization, but he struggled as he put up an ERA of 6.59 in 47 games for the Toledo Mud Hens while going 3-2 with 9 saves. This proved to be his final season as a professional.

Sources: 2012 Cubs Media Guide

Related Sites

• Alberto Cabrera on mlb.com