Cantu a Fish

[DannyB]

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/b...,3232292.story

Infielder Cantu agrees to terms with Marlins
By Juan C. Rodriguez | Sun-Sentinel.com
5:29 PM EST, January 4, 2008
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Digg Del.icio.us Facebook Fark Google Newsvine Reddit Yahoo Print Reprints Post Comment Text size: As expected, the Marlins on Friday completed a one-year, minor-league deal with infielder Jorge Cantu, who will compete with Jose Castillo for playing time at third base.

The Marlins also announced 13 additional minor-league free agent signings who also received invites to big league camp next month. Among them: right-handers Doug Waechter, Bobby Keppel and Tim Corcoran; catcher Paul Hoover; infielders Tagg Bozied and Jason Wood; and outfielders John Gall, Alexis Gomez and Jorge Piedra.

Several non-roster players also received spring training invites, including right-handers Burke Badenhop and Dallas Trahern, two of the six players the Marlins received from the Tigers in the Miguel Cabrera-Dontrelle Willis trade.




Other organizational, non-roster guys getting a look this spring: right-handers Gaby Hernandez, Brett Sinkbeil, Ryan Tucker and Chris Volstad; left-hander Aaron Thompson; catchers John Baker, Brett Hayes and Brad Davis; and infielders Chris Coghlan and Lee Mitchell.

Cantu played in 359 games and had 1,299 at-bats over the last four major league seasons. In 2005 he starred for the Tampa Rays, hitting .286 with 28 homers and 117 RBI as their starting second baseman. Cantu finished last season in the Reds organization and batted .298 with a homer, nine RBI and a .382 on-base percentage in 27 games (57 at-bats) with the big league club.

Most of Cantu's major league time has come at second, but he has logged 594 1/3 innings at third and last season began working at first base.

The Marlins have one opening on their 40-man roster.

[GoReds33]

They got a steal. To be honest, I hope he tears it up in Miami. I didn't like the way he left here.

[757690]

He was eligible for arbitration, and with his numbers from 05 and even 06, he was due for a nice payday, probably $2-3M. WK probably thought that his role could be filled by someone with better defense for around $500K. I don't agree with that, but it seems that that was the thinking.

[captainmorgan07]

i hate to see a good bat like cantu leave, but his glove was something we needed to upgrade though

[Hondo]

Would anyone rather have had him playing 3rd than Edwin?

Couple years ago batting .286-28-117 playing 2nd for the Rays??? Nice numbers that Edwin hasn't approached yet???

Thanks

[757690]

Originally Posted by Hondo

Would anyone rather have had him playing 3rd than Edwin?

Couple years ago batting .286-28-117 playing 2nd for the Rays??? Nice numbers that Edwin hasn't approached yet???

Thanks

Yeah, every other team in the NL Central. Cantu is such a bad fielder, the Reds didn't even want him as a backup 1B. I can only imagine the damage he does at third. Also, if I were Pete Rose, I would wager that EE has better offensive numbers than Cantu next year.

However, I will admit that there is something strange about no one willing to offer him a major league contract. I have no idea what it is, but just as bat off the bench, he seems worth a major league contract.

[Nasty_Boy]

Every scouting report I've read on Jorge says he's all bat and no glove. He'll hit if he gets at bats, but he will be the WORST defensive 3rd baseman in the league. I think he's a better fit for an AL club that could get him ABs at DH.

[*BaseClogger*]

He's got some power but no plate discipline. I think 05 was an aberration- most of his value that year was in the RBI's and raw power...

[wlf WV]

Don't understand trading a young pitcher for what value recieved. ???

[Edd Roush]

Wow, the Fish got a steal. Cantu is definatley worth a minor-league contract. Too bad the Reds would have had to much more than he is going to recieve from the Marlins.

[Orenda]

Originally Posted by wlf WV

Don't understand trading a young pitcher for what value recieved. ???

It was a short sighted move from Krivsky, Medlock may not turn into more than middle relief but he still had some value.

[wlf WV]

Originally Posted by summerplight

It was a short sighted move from Krivsky, Medlock may not turn into more than middle relief but he still had some value.

agreed.

[Jay Bruce]

I've never understood the love that Cantu recieves on this board. We're talking about a guy who has a .039 career ISOD, and a .312 career OBP. In addition, the only position he can field adequately is first base, where the Reds already have Votto. The only place on the roster we would have for Cantu would be against left handed pitchers, where Cantu is a career .260/.296/.441 hitter. Based on the money he would have recieved in arbitration, thanks to his fluky 2005, Cantu would be too expensive compared to his worth on the team.

As for Medlock, he will be 25 this season, and still not major league ready. After the trade last year, Medlock posted a 4.6 K/9, 5.17 BB/9 and 1.15 HR/9 at Durham, albeit in a small sample size. Couple that with his 9.56 K/9, but 7.88 BB/9 at Louisville, and you have a pitcher who stuggled mightily in AAA. He will probably improve this year, but Medlock is not someone I would lose any sleep worrying about losing.

Basically, I think the Reds wanted a closer look at Cantu, to see if he could help the Reds in the future, and didn't find the cost of a soon to be 25 year old marginal relief prospect as much of a hinderance. Based on what the Reds saw at Louisville and Cincinnati, they probably weren't overly impressed. The Reds didn't recieve a whole lot of value, but didn't give up much either.

[Dracodave]

Originally Posted by Jay Bruce

I've never understood the love that Cantu recieves on this board. We're talking about a guy who has a .039 career ISOD, and a .312 career OBP. In addition, the only position he can field adequately is first base, where the Reds already have Votto. The only place on the roster we would have for Cantu would be against left handed pitchers, where Cantu is a career .260/.296/.441 hitter. Based on the money he would have recieved in arbitration, thanks to his fluky 2005, Cantu would be too expensive compared to his worth on the team.

It's interesting when Tampa Bay tried to let Cantu recapture his 2005 season and he bombed horribly..posting this line.

107 413 40 103 18 2 14 62 167 26 91 1 1 .295 .404 .249

Jorge maybe the defination of the one year wonder for baseball, never truelly recapturing his glory because unless he becomes a DH or a firstbase man he will never truelly get at-bats.

[wlf WV]

Originally Posted by Jay Bruce

I've never understood the love that Cantu recieves on this board. We're talking about a guy who has a .039 career ISOD, and a .312 career OBP. In addition, the only position he can field adequately is first base, where the Reds already have Votto. The only place on the roster we would have for Cantu would be against left handed pitchers, where Cantu is a career .260/.296/.441 hitter. Based on the money he would have recieved in arbitration, thanks to his fluky 2005, Cantu would be too expensive compared to his worth on the team.

As for Medlock, he will be 25 this season, and still not major league ready. After the trade last year, Medlock posted a 4.6 K/9, 5.17 BB/9 and 1.15 HR/9 at Durham, albeit in a small sample size. Couple that with his 9.56 K/9, but 7.88 BB/9 at Louisville, and you have a pitcher who stuggled mightily in AAA. He will probably improve this year, but Medlock is not someone I would lose any sleep worrying about losing.

Basically, I think the Reds wanted a closer look at Cantu, to see if he could help the Reds in the future, and didn't find the cost of a soon to be 25 year old marginal relief prospect as much of a hinderance. Based on what the Reds saw at Louisville and Cincinnati, they probably weren't overly impressed. The Reds didn't recieve a whole lot of value, but didn't give up much either.

agreed,but WK must have been providing insurance,thinking of moving both Hatteberg and Conine.If my scouts can't be trusted,I need new scouts. It does'nt make sense to trade to evaluate.