Should the White Sox sign Melky Cabrera?

Aug 9, 2014; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays left fielder Melky Cabrera (53) reacts to a hit in a game against the Detroit Tigers at Rogers Centre. The Toronto Blue Jays won 3-2. Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports

Many consider Melky Cabrera to be the best bat remaining on the free agent market.

The question for the Chicago White Sox is: Would it be worth it to sign him?

From all reports, Cabrera wants a five-year deal. If he gets it, he will probably be making at least $15M per year. That pencils out to $75M total, which would be the biggest contract ever given out by the White Sox.

I think Cabrera would be a great fit in left field for the White Sox. If Cabrera comes, that means no more Dayan Viciedo.

I would guess the Sox want to move Viciedo, and Cabrera would make for an ideal replacement. He is a better hitter, more athletic, and would be a significant improvement defensively.

My only concern would the length of the deal.

Sure, if the Sox gave him four years it wouldn’t be ideal. The reason I say this is because adding an extra year is huge.

That is due to the fact that when a team hands out a long contract to a player that is on the wrong side of 30, the last couple years usually is when they decline. That is why when a team signs an older player, they should be very cautious with the length of the deal.

Next: White Sox: Could David Robertson be a consideration at closer?

Another key reason is the fact that Cabrera is a switch hitter. Here are his splits for 2014 (stats provided by ESPN):

LHB: .310, 11 HRs, 53 RBIs (416 AB)
RHB: .275, 5 HRs, 20 RBIs (152 AB)

The Sox need a hitter who can switch hit, and Cabrera would fit perfectly in the No.2 hole. Having him hit in-between Adam Eaton and Jose Abreu would be huge, and would give them an excellent 1-3.