Melky Cabrera denies turf in Toronto would preclude Blue Jays return

The odds of Melky Cabrera returning to the Toronto Blue Jays' outfield seem slim, but the free agent outfielder wants you to know if he's not back don't blame the artificial playing surface used at Toronto's Roger Centre.

ESPN's Buster Olney reported on Friday that Cabrera wasn't keen on re-signing with the Blue Jays because he didn't want to continue playing on the turf.

Cabrera took to Twitter to dispel the notion that the turf was an issue:

Peter Greenberg, Cabrera's agent, reiterated his client's comments on Sportsnet 590 The Fan. Greenberg said that while every player prefers natural grass to turf it would not preclude an agreement between the two sides and that there remains mutual interest in getting a deal done.

Blue Jays general manager Alex Anthopoulos declared at the GM meetings earlier in November that there was a "good chance" Cabrera wouldn't return, and that was before Toronto committed five years and $82-million to catcher Russell Martin.

Cabrera, 30, is coming off a strong season in which he hit .301/.351/.458 with 16 home runs in 139 games and is looking for a four or five year contract. It's believed the Blue Jays have yet to offer anything more than a three-year pact.

This is how negotiations go. While the turf may not be a deal-breaker, it has surely been part of the discussions between Cabrera's camp and Toronto's front office.