Common sense says after five seasons, either you've proved you can pitch consistently and successfully at this level or you haven't.
Cabrera hasn't. Yet I still have faith that he will. And I want the Orioles, these newer, smarter Orioles who are clearly and finally on the right path, to have that faith, too.
This might make it easier to swallow: If Cabrera goes, what do the Orioles have next year? Give him this much credit: He's still around while a tidal wave of arms has washed in and out of here over the years. Jeremy Guthrie is the real deal. Without Cabrera, good luck finding someone else you can count on even as much as you did him. He had 30 starts and 180 innings. Compared with the rest of the rotation, he was practically a cornerstone.
