Cabrera wants to stay with White Sox 'for a long time,' prefers not to be dealt

Melky Cabrera seems happy on the South Side, and if he has his way would prefer to stick with the Chicago White Sox through its rebuild.

The veteran outfielder commented on his future a day after his manager, Rick Renteria, said he was "surprised" Cabrera was still with the team amid a flurry of moves.

"I like Chicago, I like this team, and I would like to stay here for a long time, not just until the end of the season," Cabrera said Sunday through an interpreter, according to Colleen Kane of the Chicago Tribune.

"But I don't have control of those decisions. They know what they have to do, but if you ask me, I would say I would like to stay here."

The White Sox have endured quite the turnaround since the offseason with several big-name players - including Chris Sale, Jose Quintana, Todd Frazier, David Robertson, and Tommy Kahnle - all being shipped as part of its rebuild.

Cabrera, who is in the midst of a terrific season and is slated to become a free agent in 2018, has seen his name surface in persistent trade rumors for that reason.

The 33-year-old has provided steady value for the club, combining to hit .295/.338/.443 with 13 home runs and 56 RBIs while being worth 1.2 WAR in 92 games.