Montreal signed Orlando Cabrera to a one-year, $6M contract in early January. Cabrera was arbitration-eligible and should be a free agent following the 2004 season. I wish Montreal's ownership situation would have allowed them to negotiate a multi-year contract with the 29-year-old, but he seems likely to exit the organization at the end of the season. Cabrera shouldn't have any trouble finding work once he reaches free agency, as he possesses solid plate discipline and is an adept baserunner with developing power.

Tomo Ohka, who was arbitration-eligible for the first time this off-season, signed a one-year, $2.3375M contract with the Expos in late January. The improvement in the Montreal defense should bring Ohka's ERA down from the 4.16 he posted in 2003 to closer to the 3.18 ERA he posted in 2002, however his skill levels have remained remarkably immobile over the past two years, so I don't expect either a substantial improvement or decline from the 27-year-old.