Rangers pick up Jorge Cantu
Arlington, Texas – The Texas Rangers announced this afternoon that the club has acquired infielder Jorge Cantu and cash considerations from Florida in exchange for right-handed pitchers Omar Poveda and Evan Reed. Cantu (#9) is expected to join the Rangers for tomorrow’s series opener in Anaheim. To make room on the 40-man roster for Cantu, the Rangers have recalled right-handed pitcher Brandon McCarthy from Oklahoma City (AAA) and placed him on the 60-day disabled list with right shoulder inflammation.
Cantu, 28, has batted .262 (98-374) with 10 home runs, 25 doubles, and 54 RBI in 97 games with Florida this season. He hit safely in his final 4 games with the Marlins, including going 2-for-4 with 2 runs scored in a start at third base in today’s series finale at San Francisco. Cantu leads the Marlins in doubles and ranks tied for 2nd on the club in RBI with Hanley Ramirez, trailing only Dan Uggla (64). He has batted primarily cleanup for Florida this season. This is his 5th career season with at least 10 home runs.
The right-handed batter had at least one hit and one RBI in each of his first 10 games this season to establish a major league record at the start of a campaign, surpassing the previous mark of 8 straight games by Hall of Famer George “High Pockets” Kelly for the Giants in 1921. Cantu began the year with a career-best 17-game hit streak that ranks as the 3rd-longest in the National League in 2010.
Cantu has a pair of 20-homer seasons as well as two different 100-RBI campaigns. He has registered 40 doubles in 3 different seasons, including each of the past 2 years (2008-09) with Florida. Cantu has played primarily first and third base the past several years after seeing action at second base and third base over his first 3 big league seasons from 2004-06. He is a career .350 (14-40) hitter with 6 doubles and 9 RBI in 9 games at Rangers Ballpark.
The McAllen, Texas native has played for Tampa Bay (2004-07), Cincinnati (2007), and Florida (2008-10) in his big league career. He was originally signed by Tampa Bay as a non-drafted free agent in 1998. Cantu is a citizen of both the United States and Mexico, having been born in Texas before moving to Mexico when he was a week old.
Poveda, 22, has spent the entire season on the disabled list after having “Tommy John” ligament transplant surgery on his right elbow on March 3. The surgery was performed by Rangers team physician Dr. Keith Meister at the Medical Center of Arlington. He has been rehabbing at the club’s facility in Surprise, Arizona. Poveda has been in major league spring training each of the last 2 years, but has just one career appearance above the Double-A level and has yet to see any action in the big leagues. He was originally signed by Texas as a non-drafted free agent in 2004.
Reed, 24, has spent the bulk of this season with Frisco (AA), appearing in one game with Oklahoma City (AAA), as he has combined to go 2-1 with a 1.76 ERA (8 ER/41.0 IP) and 5 saves in 31 relief appearances. In those outings, Reed has recorded 34 strikeouts against 13 walks, holding opponents to a .234 (36-154) average. Reed led all Texas minor leaguers with 25 saves in 2009. He was originally selected by the Rangers in the 3rd round of the 2007 June draft out of Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo.
McCarthy has gone 2-0 with a 2.48 ERA in 7 games/5 starts with Oklahoma City this season. He last pitched on June 19.
With these moves, the Rangers still have a full 40-man roster.
