Mets: Asdrubal Cabrera will play for Venezuela in WBC

Mets SS Asdrubal Cabrera will play for the Vinotinto next spring

One of my favorite international tournaments returns next season. I’m referring to the World Baseball Classic, of course. This still relatively new multinational competition will feature 16 squads from all over the world, and will surely feature more than a couple of New York Mets players. The latest to confirm he’ll be playing in the World Baseball Classic is shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera.

Cabrera, a native of Venezuela, will be playing for his home country this spring. Venezuela drew Pool D and will be squaring off against Mexico, Puerto Rico, and Italy in Jalisco, Mexico.

There’s no doubt that Cabrera’s participation in the World Baseball Classic will cause some Mets fans to worry. Any time players engage in a high stakes competition, the odds of injury seemingly go up. Last season, he endured and played through some knee issues, so that’s obviously the first thing we’ll all be thinking about going into 2017. However, as a regular everyday player, I’m not really worried about Asdrubal’s overall health. This dude is tough as they come, and I’m sure if his knee was of some concern still, the Mets would have interjected, and tried to talk him out of playing. He didn’t require surgery in the offseason, and at 31 years of age, Cabrera is still in the prime of his career, so I’m willing to bet he’ll be fine.

Pitchers, on the other hand, always draw more concern mainly because the tournament is held during spring training, and you don’t want to wear anyone’s arm out that early. The Mets’ own Noah Syndergaard was invited to participate in this year’s World Baseball Classic aboard Team USA, but after giving it some thought, he declined gracefully.

The World Baseball Classic kicks off March 6th, 2017 in Seoul, South Korea.

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