Asdrubal Cabrera 'not really happy' with move to 2B, asks to be traded

Veteran shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera said Friday that he has requested a trade from the New York Mets, a decision he made after the team asked him to move to second base.

Cabrera, 31, was activated from the 10-day disabled list Friday and went 3-for-6 in an 11-4 win over the San Francisco Giants. He hit second in the lineup and made his first start at second base since Sept. 28, 2014.

"Personally, I'm not really happy with that move," Cabrera told reporters after meeting with manager Terry Collins and general manager Sandy Alderson before Friday's game, according to MLB.com. "If they have that plan, they should have told me before I came over here. I just told my agent about it. If they have that plan for me, I think it's time to make a move.

"What I saw the last couple of weeks, I don't think they have any plans for me. I told my agent, so we're going to see what happens in the next couple weeks."

Jose Reyesremained at shortstop for New York and went 0-for-3, dropping his batting average this season to .191. Regular Mets second baseman Neil Walker is expected to miss several weeks because of a hamstring tear.

New York snapped a four-game losing streak Friday night but has won just two of its past nine games.

Collins said afterward that he decided to move Cabrera to second because the Mets' struggling defense needed to "shore up" that side of the field.

"I understand he's not happy playing there. I get that," Collins said after the game. "But I knew when he took the field he was gonna go play, and that's what he did.

"I told him today, look, our defense has not played well, and by you going over there, I think, is just gonna shore it up. I hope everybody understands, it's not that I don't think he can play shortstop. That's not it. I just think we're a better team if he plays second base. We got Jose to play short, and we just had to shore up second base a little bit, and he looked great today."

Cabrera had not played since June 12 because of a sprained left thumb and said he wasn't given time to prepare for the move to second base while he was on an injury rehabilitation assignment at Class A St. Lucie.

"I was surprised," he said. "They should have told me I could have played over there. ... For double plays you have to work on that."

Cabrera agreed ahead of the 2016 season to a two-year contract with $8.25 million annual salaries and an $8.25 million club option for 2018 with a $2 million buyout. He said he would withdraw his trade request if the Mets exercise the option.

Cabrera added that, despite being unhappy, he would continue to give "100 percent" effort on the field for the sake of his teammates.

"I got to do my job, no matter what position," he said. "Try to help my team, my teammates. I have to help them, help my team. I am just playing for my guys, my players, my teammates."

Alderson said trading Cabrera would be difficult, even if the Mets wanted to.

"As a practical matter, that's easier said than done," Alderson said. "Even if I were so inclined, I don't know that that's something that he really wishes."

Cabrera is batting .253 with six home runs and 20 RBIs in 50 games.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.