Marlins trade Jorge Cantu to Rangers

[crewcrazy]

The pieces of this deal were rumored for a couple hours, but it looks like it's official now that Florida's game against the Giants has ended. Ken Rosenthal with the pieces:

 

TEX gets:

INF Jorge Cantu

 

FLA gets:

RHP Evan Reed

RHP Omar Poveda

 

Reed is in AA, Poveda is rehabbing from Tommy John surgery. Ian Kinsler recently went on the DL for the Rangers, so it's conceivable that Cantu could fill in at 2B until Kinsler returns, then slide to first base.

[davego]

Texas looks like they are going all-in.

[Funketown]

Cantu was really the best they could do? I guess he can play all around the infield, but that's a pretty weak bat at first.

[LouisEly]

More importantly, it creates a hole at 3B for the Marlins. And wouldn't the Marlins like to have a decent ML 3B who is cheap and under control for a few years. Hello Casey McGehee. McGehee has a lot more value to a low-payroll team like the Marlins than to other teams in the league, so perhaps McGehee could be packaged with a prospect or two for some of Florida's pitching.

[logan82]

More importantly, it creates a hole at 3B for the Marlins. And wouldn't the Marlins like to have a decent ML 3B who is cheap and under control for a few years.

 

Wes Helms

[jerichoholicninja]

I don't see any reason the Marlins would want McGehee now. If they were buyer maybe, but not now.

[LouisEly]

More importantly, it creates a hole at 3B for the Marlins. And wouldn't the Marlins like to have a decent ML 3B who is cheap and under control for a few years.

 

Wes Helms

I said "decent" and "under control for a few years".

[logan82]

More importantly, it creates a hole at 3B for the Marlins. And wouldn't the Marlins like to have a decent ML 3B who is cheap and under control for a few years.

 

Wes Helms

I said "decent" and "under control for a few years".

Chris Coghlan

[LouisEly]

Who has played exactly zero career games at 3B in the Majors, and hasn't been a 3B since rookie ball where he made 12 errors in 42 games. Unless you want to count the 10 games he played at 3B in AA in 2008 where he made 5 errors in those 10 games.

[logan82]

He played plenty of 2B in the minors.

[nate82]

The Rangers got robbed in this trade. Especially looking at all of the other deals that went down recently.

[TooLiveBrew]

Cantu was really the best they could do? I guess he can play all around the infield, but that's a pretty weak bat at first.

He's also rated out as a bad defender at 2B (> 1800 Innings) & 3B (> 2600 Inn.), whether you go by TZ or UZR/150. Not to mention that he hasn't even played 2B since 2007. This pickup doesn't make sense to me at all for the Rangers. In Texas's position, which appears to be going all-in on 2010, I'd rather have paid more to add Adam Dunn, who actually makes an impact. Both Dunn & Cantu are 1B-only caliber defensive players, but Dunn has been worth 3.0 WAR thus far, while Cantu's been worth a measly 0.5.

Justin Smoak has been horrible at the plate this season aside from a solid June. If you're trying to shoot the moon this season, there would be no harm done in sending him back to AAA to work on his swing & bringing in Dunn. That's a massive upgrade, not to mention the possibility you could extend Dunn to step in as DH after Vlad's current one-year deal is up (mutual '11 option with a $1M buyout for the Rangers). Call up or trade for a glovely-type 2B to fill in until Kinsler returns & be a utility player after that.

As it stands, if the Rangers plan to have Cantu fill in for Kinsler, they acquired a player whose defense at 2B will most likely mightily outweigh anything he brings at the plate. Not sure if they then plan on starting Cantu over Smoak at 1B, but like Funketown said Cantu's bat is not good at 1B. Otherwise, I guess he becomes their utility player that can't field 2B or 3B? Strange trade imo. They basically traded for Casey McGehee.

[nate82]

He's also rated out as a bad defender at 2B (> 1800 Innings) & 3B (> 2600 Inn.), whether you go by TZ or UZR/150. Not to mention that he hasn't even played 2B since 2007. This pickup doesn't make sense to me at all for the Rangers. In Texas's position, which appears to be going all-in on 2010, I'd rather have paid more to add Adam Dunn, who actually makes an impact. Both Dunn & Cantu are 1B-only caliber defensive players, but Dunn has been worth 3.0 WAR thus far, while Cantu's been worth a measly 0.5.

Justin Smoak has been horrible at the plate this season aside from a solid June. If you're trying to shoot the moon this season, there would be no harm done in sending him back to AAA to work on his swing & bringing in Dunn. That's a massive upgrade, not to mention the possibility you could extend Dunn to step in as DH after Vlad's current one-year deal is up (mutual '11 option with a $1M buyout for the Rangers). Call up or trade for a glovely-type 2B to fill in until Kinsler returns & be a utility player after that.

As it stands, if the Rangers plan to have Cantu fill in for Kinsler, they acquired a player whose defense at 2B will most likely mightily outweigh anything he brings at the plate. Not sure if they then plan on starting Cantu over Smoak at 1B, but like Funketown said Cantu's bat is not good at 1B. Otherwise, I guess he becomes their utility player that can't field 2B or 3B? Strange trade imo. They basically traded for Casey McGehee.

Smoak is on the Mariners now from the Lee trade. The Rangers also have Guzman now to fill in at 2B I think Cantu was a bad trade for the Rangers and I agree Dunn and others would have been a better option.

[TooLiveBrew]

*facepalm*

 

Thanks nate.