Infielder Jorge Cantu has opted out of his minor league deal with the Angels and elected free agency, MLB.com's Alden Gonzalez reports (Twitter link). The Wasserman Media Group client is now free to sign with any team.
The Angels, who signed Cantu to a minor league deal in January, assigned him to Triple-A, where he has a .291/.300/.488 line with four homers in 90 plate appearances. Cantu hit 28 homers in 2005 and 29 homers in 2008, but has struggled to produce at the plate since then. Cantu signed with the Padres last year, but they cut him after he posted a .194/.232/.285 line in 155 plate appearances. Cantu, a right-handed hitter, has hit lefties and righties at a nearly identical clip over the course of his eight-year career.
Would’ve been a better bat off the bench than Abreu was. Bummer. Hope he finds a new team soon.
this is good for a roster spot being open for someone younger who could help the team
Jorge Cantu may not be > than Adam Kennedy, but would like LAD to give him a shot… Seems to be on the good side of his bad year/good year rotation that he’s known for…
Not really. 05/08 next should’ve been 2011. That didn’t happen. Maybe something with leap year messing him up this year… or in ’08?
And, right now, Cantu’s life is brimming. His girlfriend, Mexican actress and
talk-show host Cynthia Urias, is six months pregnant with the couple’s first
child, a boy. Cantu has an opt-out clause in his contract that he can trigger on
May 1 if he’s still at Triple-A. He has even considered taking a couple of
months off this summer to be with his newborn child in Mexico City.
In
other words, not everything revolves around a revolving little white ball, even
for those who make a career of hitting it.
Oh Jorge, cant-u find something else to do with your time? You’re well past your prime.
Angels should’ve got rid of Alberto Callaspo and brought him up. Any change on the Angel roster would be a positive move right now.
Cantu > a statue > V. Wells
This is who the A’s should have picked up as opposed to Inge.
Yeah. This is a guy who is still only 30YO and has come back from the trash heap 2x with outstanding seasons, as compared to Inge who is just a glove and has lost it all with his bat.
Cantu is passable defensively at 3b, decent at 1st and still hits as good as Inge ever will again.
Beane should look Jorge up.
Would have like to see either Izturis or Callaspo traded and Cantu brought up. Despite what Dipoto says, Izturis and Callaspo are basically the same. Cantu has some pop left and showed the ability to drive in runs in the clutch during ST. Something the current roster has shown they can’t do right now.
i wanted to see this guy get regular playing time too…maybe not every game but i agree…he would be an upgrade to callaspo
Could see him as a Phillie. They love grabbing every util infielder possible
With Longo going down last night, this could be the player for the Rays to pick up to get them through.
Jorge Cantu can help the Seattle Mariners as a utility player and get rid of Chone Figgins, esp. as a pinch runner for guys like Justin Smoak, John Jaso, and/or Jesus Montero late in the game by signing a minor-league contract to help out the team struggling on offense. Vlad Guerrero can bring back the Mojo to the Emerald City by possibly taking the M’s back into the playoffs as second Wild Card team this season. Not too late of signing those two guys.