Rangers Get Jorge Cantu From Marlins

SAN FRANCISCO -- Their ownership situation remains a mess, but the Texas Rangers just keep making moves designed to improve their playoff chances.

With Cliff Lee already on board, Texas on Thursday acquired infielder Jorge Cantu from the Marlins for a pair of minor league pitchers, Evan Reed and Omar Poveda. The Rangers also will reportedly get $680,000 toward the remaining $2.18 million of Cantu's $6 million salary this season.

Cantu, 28, will provide the Rangers and experienced hitter who can play first base, third base or DH, though he's known far more for his bat than his abilities in the field.

Cantu went 2-for-4 Thursday in his final game with the Marlins even as reports swirled during the game that he already had been dealt to Texas. He's hitting .262 with 25 doubles and 10 homers.

Cantu had been hearing his name in trade rumors for weeks, and he admitted it had been a distraction to him. He said he wasn't aware of the nearly-completed deal as he played his final game with the Marlins on Thursday. He got up to the clubhouse after he'd been removed for defense in the eighth and saw a text on his phone from his agent, and that's when it was confirmed.



"It'll be fun," Cantu said. "Obviously whenever you go to a new team it's fun. I can't wait to be a Texas Ranger."

Marlins general manager Larry Beinfest said the club chose to let Cantu keep playing while the commissioner's office was approving the deal because it wasn't final. Still, it was a little nerve-wracking for him.

"With every at-bat, you hope nothing happens, only because you want to be respectful of the other team," Beinfest said.

Cantu has played third with the Marlins, but he is expected to play first with the Rangers. He has played 238 games at first base and 218 at second, a position he might also play while Ian Kinsler is on the DL. Cantu will join the Rangers on Friday in Anaheim.

Cantu has been slumping lately (.216 with one homer over his past 35 games), the Rangers are obviously hoping that he can turn that around. Cantu suggested that he might be better without the stress of trade rumors surrounding him.

"It'll be a weight off my shoulders," he said.

From the Marlins perspective, Beinfest said that this deal isn't a sign that they have given up on competing in 2010. They had been looking to get more left-handed by bringing up Logan Morrison and by putting Chris Coghlan at third base. They ended up bringing up Morrison anyway when Coghlan hurt his knee in a freak shaving-cream pie accident. Now third will be manned by Wes Helms, Donnie Murphy or Hector Luna, who takes Cantu's roster spot.

Beinfest said the Marlins also had no plans to either offer Cantu arbitration or re-sign him for 2011, so trading him now was the only chance to get any value for him, even if they had to still pay part of his remaining salary.

Reed, 24, spent most of this season at Double-A, with one appearance at Triple-A. He was a combined 2-1 with a 1.76 ERA, holding opponents to a .234 average. Beinfest said he'll be a candidate to contribute to the big league bullpen as soon as next season.

Poveda, 22, is recovering from Tommy John surgery performed in March. Beinfest said it was a "down the middle" procedure, so they are confident that he'll be fully recovered by next spring. Beinfest said the Marlins had tried to acquire Poveda in another deal before he got hurt.