Jorge Cantu / 3rd base?

[tony2sweet]

I just read a article on realgm.com that Jorge Cantu will be out looking for a job very soon. Would he be a good fit for the Brewers at 3rd base? I would give him a shot. He is still very young and is just one year removed from a big year, 28 HRS and 117 RBI.

[brettac1]

I don't want anything to do with him, even in his "big" year he only had a .311 OBP, last year it was .295.

[dadofandrew]

He slugs enough to make him worthwhile though. Still only 25.

[Big Reed]

he was my starting 2b in two of my yahoo leagues. now it's a mad scramble to find a replacement. I could see it coming, but I thought tampa bay would just make him their dh rather than outrighting him to AAA. their japanese import is batting less than .200 this spring and has complained numerous times about needing rest.

 

it's too bad. i would have loved to try to pry Upton away from tampa bay this off season before they realized he could play second.

[Big Reed]

how about mench for cantu? i read that norton was placed on the dl.

[DHonks]

the shocker for me in the whole DRays lineup is that Elijah Dukes will be the CF on opening day. The guy can flat-out mash. But he has virtually no cartilage left in his knee, hence why they sent him to the AFL to play 1b.

[dadofandrew]

At the moment, the Crew needs Mench. Jenkins is replacement level at best versus LHP, and Gwynn, Nix, and Gross all are LH bats. I wouldn't mind seeing Cantu take that final position player spot at all, but Mench is a key component of this '07 club, as a platoon bat with some pop.

[brettac1]

the shocker for me in the whole DRays lineup is that Elijah Dukes will be the CF on opening day.

 

It's just going to be for a few games, Baldelli (shockingly) is hurt a little and is going to DH.

[Nader Raider Tim]

Lets just hope the Dukes mashes while Baldelli is out, likely, and stays out of trouble, far less likely.

 

The better Dukes plays the more likely the D-Rays are to trade a player like Baldelli, or to a lesser extent Crawford.

 

With how ugly that pitching staff looks I am sure guys like Cappellan, Zach Jackson, Carlos Villenueva etc. would all be apealing to the Rays

[Big Reed]

dRays are a strange bunch. their potentia l closer orvella had a monster spring with an ERA under 2 and they send him down to AAA.

[Boy Jeenius]

DRays only chance to compete one day is to keep minor leaguers down as long as possible and bring up a solid core to keep together for 6 years. Baseball America says DRays are the team to beat in 2010. They are putting together a monster core of starting pitching.

[Big Reed]

the drays will never be the team to beat as long as they are in the same divison as the yankees and boston. they have to play each team 17 times. that's 30 losses every year. the drays will also never be able to compete financially with either team While the Drays may have a lot better prospects, all the Yankees and red Sox have to do is buy an all star from japan and it won't count against their free agent compensation. or just sign an unrestricted free agent to fill whatever hole they have.

 

the best hope the D rays have is if MLB decides to go with two 15 team leagues, and incorporates more interleague play to make the schedules work. I think the Drays would be a good team if they only had to play the yankees and red Sox 8-10 times a year and they played the royals and Cubs and reds more often.

 

let's face it Steinbrenner owns the Tampa Bay area.

[dadofandrew]

The Blue Jays are competing, so anyone can.

[Big Reed]

there's a difference in competing and winning. the blue jays also have a payroll twice the size as tampa Bay.

 

Tampa bay has no chance in that Division to ever be successful.

[shelmark]

What about Capellan in a deal for Cantu? I know his OBP is terrible, but it would be nice to put him in the 8 hole and let him mash away at mistakes...ala Gorman Thomas. I'm just not that high on Capellan as he has never shown the velocity that he was touted for and his FB is so straight and therefore hittable. When Braun comes up you can use Cantu as spot starter for Fielder or Weeks, or dangle him for something around trade deadline if he is hitting at all.

[Jarjohm]

I think a Capellan for Cantu trade makes sense for both sides. Both have huge upsides and are young. The biggest difference is Cantu proved he can be a good player (28 HRs, 117 RBI in 2005) before an injury-riddled 2006 and Capellan hasn't proven anything (at least in my mind). Cantu could step in at 3B and the Brewers would have great back-up depth in the infield with Counsell and Graffanino (though someone would have to get sent down, Gwynn?).

 

The downside, of course, would be that injuries and poor performance are sure to strike the pitching staff at some time in 2006 and it'd be nice to have Capellan waiting in the wings (and hopefully pitching better), while Cantu would be more of a stop-gap player for the Crew.

[wallus]

I would be in favor of a graffanino and Capellan for Cantu trade. Start him at third until Braun is ready. He can also play 2B and 1B too which would be very nice.

[GAME05]

that's an interesting idea, Wallus, of throwing in Graffy+Capellan for Cantu so that we don't have way too many IF backups. Thinking TB would balk on adding any salary, though.

 

Even if Cantu has a terrible OBP, he'd be hitting 8th, so with his power he'd fit pretty well in that spot.

 

Houston might be a good fit for Cantu.

[dadofandrew]

If the Brewers want a 3B with some pop that cannot field, they'd bring up Braun. Cantu also has no home as soon as Braun comes up. It's just not very feasible.

[Big Reed]

The St. Petersburg Times reports Tampa Bay Devil Rays 2B Jorge Cantu will be used at first base for Triple-A Durham and also at second and third to increase his versatility.

 

they did something similar with Wiggington and Huff. Looks like they are obviously trying to showcase him for a possible trade. i doubt he returns to the drays.

[Big Reed]

cantu was recalled yesterday when iwana (sp) was placed on the dl. obviously, unlike Capellan, cantu took his demotion as a wake up call, shut up, stopped complaining and played baseball at AAA.

[dadofandrew]

Cantu is back after hitting .267/.317/.360 with no homers and 17 strikeouts in 75 at-bats for Durham.--Rotoworld

 

Jorge was terrible at AAA, but he didn't go AWOL.

 

Right now, the Crew has an embarrassment of riches at AAA, with no fewer than 6-7 true prospects or decent vets on their pitching staff...many teams have a couple, then some Gary Glover/Wes O types, guys who will put up ok numbers in AAA, but 4.50ish numbers in the bigs, and 5.50ish if asked to join the rotation for a month. Those guys have a place, but their upside is minimal.

 

As I said the other day, the Sounds now have 3 power arms in their bullpen that all throw 92-94 and have plus breaking balls, with varying degrees of control of them. I guarantee you scouts will be telling their teams that all 3 are better than the bottom 3 on their major league staffs...you could easily make the argument that any 2 of them are better than Dessens and Spurling, though I understand why they are with the team.