Mets do not deal Asdrubal Cabrera as calendar flips to September

Thursday was the deadline for a player to be traded and still be eligible for a postseason roster. The Mets did not ship Asdrubal Cabrera as August closed
The deadline to pull off a trade and have a player eligible for the postseason roster passed and Asdrubal Cabrera was not among the names shipped off as August ended. He’ll remain a Met for the rest of the season and possibly beyond with how this situation has developed.
As many have pointed out, it’s ironic Cabrera is the one who remains with the team after he was the only one to vocally demand a trade back in June. Cabrera has since reversed course and offered a few encouraging words about the makeup of the current roster.
Cabrera has an $8.5 million club option for next season. If the Mets do bring him back, he may be viewed as a more affordable option at third base after he was put in that position to potentially bolster his trade value. In 21 games at the position, Cabrera has handled the transition respectably. Nobody would confuse him for a plus defender at third, but Cabrera has only committed one error in a small sample size (34 chances).
The Mets’ 2018 plans have potentially altered. In the infield, that’s been due to T.J. Rivera’s partially torn UCL and his currently uncertain status. David Wright started a rehab assignment, but that was quickly shut down. Wilmer Flores and Gavin Cecchini are both better suited for second base. The only in-house option at third would be Cabrera who is still relatively inexperienced at the position.
Holding on to Cabrera may offer a clue into the Mets’ offseason plans. Are they willing to move forward with Cabrera at third base next year as a cheaper option instead of splashing in free agency for Mike Moustakas? The Mets saved a lot of money over the last month, but this occurrence hints it might be spent elsewhere.
Next: A letter to David Wright
Either way, this whole saga has involved more twists and turns than a roller coaster. Yet somehow through the roster overhaul, Cabrera has survived and will at least spend the next month in a Mets uniform. Beyond that is anyone’s guess, but where they play him should offer more insight to the team’s plans for him next season.