53 Melky Cabrera LF

Cabrera was released by the Mets on Wednesday, Deesha Thosar of the New York Daily News reports.

Cabrera's offense slipped in his 15th big-league season last year, as he hit a modest .280/.313/.399 in 397 plate appearances for the Pirates, good for just an 85 wRC+. Whether or not that's enough to convince another team to take a chance on the 35-year-old remains to be seen.

Cabrera signed a non-guaranteed contract with the Mets on Monday and is expected to be included in the club's 60-man roster pool.

Cabrera had been unsigned since the end of the 2019 season after batting .280 with seven home runs and 47 RBI in 397 plate appearances with the Pirates. As the high average and his strong 10.3 percent strikeout rate illustrate, Cabrera still makes contact at an elite level at this stage of his career, but his lack of power and diminished speed render him a rather low-upside fantasy option even when he's getting meaningful playing time. He'll likely have to settle for part-time duty at best with the Mets in 2020, with Michael Conforto, J.D. Davis, Brandon Nimmo, Jake Marisnick and Dominic Smith all likely ahead of him in the outfield pecking order.

Cabrera is not starting Wednesday against the Phillies.

Cabrera has fallen out of a starting role recently, getting the nod just twice in the last nine games. Jose Osuna, who starts in right field Wednesday, has moved ahead of him on the depth chart, though the fact Osuna has also gotten playing time at the infield corner spots is leaving some starts open for Cabrera.

Cabrera isn't starting Tuesday's game against the Phillies.

Cabrera picked up a pair of base knocks in Monday's series opener, but he'll get the night off Tuesday. Jose Osuna is set to man right field and will bat fifth in Cabrera's place.

Cabrera will bat fifth and start in right field Monday against the Phillies.

The outfielder is 11-for-31 with six extra-base hits (including two homers) in his career against starter Jason Vargas. Interestingly, he's never walked against Vargas. Cabrera, who has just one hit in his last 19 at-bats, is slashing .276/.308/.396 in 339 plate appearances in 2019.

Cabrera is not in the lineup for Sunday's game versus the Reds.

Cabrera is 6-for-50 (.120 average) through 19 games in August, and he'll head to the bench for the series finale. Jose Osuna will start in right field and bat sixth for the Pirates.

Cabrera is not in Friday's lineup against the Reds.

He has sat in three of the last five games and should continue to start a few times per week over the rest of the season. Jose Osuna will start in right field and bat sixth.

Cabrera is not in Wednesday's lineup against the Nationals.

He has started six of the last 10 games, but only one of the last four. Pablo Reyes will start in right field and hit sixth against lefty Patrick Corbin.

Cabrera isn't in the starting lineup for Tuesday's game against the Nationals.

Cabrera appears to be in line for a normal day of rest after failing to register a hit in each of his last four contests (0-for-13). Jose Osuna gets the call in right field and will hit sixth with Cabrera on the bench.

Cabrera is not in Sunday's lineup against the Cubs.

He is hitting .132 with zero home runs in 38 at-bats this month. Pablo Reyes will start in right field while Bryan Reynolds shifts to left field.

Cabrera is not in Tuesday's lineup against the Angels.

He has sat out four of the last seven games, as the floundering Pirates have started leaning more on younger players like Jose Osuna and Pablo Reyes. Cabrera will still get his fair share of starts, particularly against lefties, but he probably won't play enough to be useful in mixed leagues.

Cabrera went 1-for-5 and scored a run in Monday's 10-2 win over the Angels.

Although he has just three hits in 30 at-bats since July 30, Cabrera has appeared in all of Pittsburgh's games in August, starting six times. While he's likely frustrated with his recent results, the 35-year-old has seen an uptick in playing time. Cabrera is batting .287/.318.417 with six homers and 38 RBI in 315 plate appearances.

Cabrera is not in Friday's lineup against the Cardinals.

Cabrera is hitting .220 with zero home runs in 21 games since the All-Star break. Jose Osuna will start in left field and hit fifth.

Cabrera will head to the bench for Tuesday's game against the Brewers.

Cabrera is out of the lineup for the second straight contest after going 2-for-11 with a double and two RBI during his club's four-game weekend series against the Mets. Pablo Reyes gets the call in right field and will hit seventh with Cabrera riding the bench.

Cabrera is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Brewers.

Cabrera has recaptured a primary role in the corner outfield after Corey Dickerson was dealt to the Phillies on July 31, but the veteran will still likely receive a couple days off per week as the Pirates look to keep their reserve options sharp. Jose Osuna will fill in for Cabrera in right field Monday, while Pablo Reyes looms as another candidate to occasionally receive work in the outfield.

Cabrera is not starting Saturday against the Mets.

The deadline-day trade of Corey Dickerson to the Phillies helps clear out a crowded Pirates outfield, but Cabrera still won't play every day. Jose Osuna will start in right field in Cabrera's absence Saturday.

Cabrera went 1-for-4 with a double, two RBI and a run scored Friday against the Mets.

Cabrera participated in Pittsburgh's five-run rally in the fourth inning, plating two runs on a double to center field. The 34-year-old has now registered a double in five of his last six contests, putting him at 19 through 93 games this season.

Cabrera went 1-for-4 with a walk and two RBI in Wednesday's 14-8 loss to the Cardinals.

After another decent day at the plate, Cabrera maintains a respectable .305/.341/.438 season-long slash line, but the 34-year-old won't be in line for an expanded role as a result of his performance. Starling Marte, Bryan Reynolds and Corey Dickerson are locked in as Pittsburgh's clear top three outfielders. Cabrera isn't expected to see more than 2-to-3 starts per week, chiefly versus southpaws in Dickerson's place, unless an injury intervenes. He'll be back on the bench for Thursday's series finale.

Cabrera went 1-for-2 with a two-run homer in a 12-2 victory over the Brewers on Saturday.

The veteran outfielder has continued to hit for a high average, and in the last 10 games, he has six extra-base hits. He's batting .316 with six home runs, 31 RBI, 30 runs and two steals in 228 at-bats this season. Cabrera should remain one of the more valuable fourth outfielders in fantasy realms during the second half.

Cabrera went 3-for-4 with a home run, double and two RBI in the Pirates' 6-5 win over the Cubs on Wednesday.

Cabrera's opportunities have been on the downswing since the beginning of June, but the veteran has remained a capable performer when called upon. Though he'll draw a second straight start in the outfield in Thursday's series finale, he's still the clear fourth outfielder on the Pirates and will see most of his action against left-handed pitching.