SFX Baseball Group is "negotiating deals with multiple companies" on behalf of its client Tigers 3B Miguel Cabrera, and "more deals, with MLB sponsors, are likely to come after the postseason," according to Karl Henkel of the DETROIT NEWS. Marketing analysts said that a "strong playoff performance, coupled with a world championship, could land Cabrera endorsements that could total in the high six-figures annually." Henkel notes Cabrera has dealt with "past off-field problems," mostly related to "the consumption of alcohol." The Marketing Arm Senior Account Manager Matt Fleming said, "There are a couple of things holding him back a bit, specifically his off-the-field issues he's run into over the years and the fact that he's not a fluent English-speaking player, which tends to not help a ton on the marketing side of things." SFX Baseball Group Marketing Dir Cesar Sanchez said, "For the most part, yes, (it no longer is a factor). But it does still come up." Henkel writes Cabrera "and his infectious smile can only take him so far; the fact he doesn't speak the best English could significantly hinder his ability to land substantial, mainstream, deals." That leaves Cabrera with a few options: "learn to speak ... better English" or "entrust his marketing representatives to find endorsement deals that require him to speak as little as possible." He also "could endorse products that appeal to the U.S.-based Hispanic community." The Marketing Arm's Davie Brown Index ranks Cabrera "907th out of 2,500 celebs in the endorsement category" (DETROIT NEWS, 10/12).
