Righthanded Hitter Found

Last March — the 28th, to be exact — I thought Jorge Cantu might be made available by the then-Devil Rays, and figured he’d be a perfect fit for the Mets. At the time, the Mets’ second base position was shaky, and Cantu had a big bat.

A week later, I brought up the idea again.

By May, Cantu became an obsession to me, as he was rumored to be dealt by the Devil Rays.

Right before the trading deadline in July, I was jealous that the Reds stole Cantu in return for the equivalent of a bag of balls.

In December, I mentioned that Cantu was again available, as a free agent, and would be an ideal guy to invite to spring training.

Most recently, I reported that Cantu signed with the Fish, and it probably made sense since he would get a chance to fight for a starting 3B spot.

Cantu, by the way, was the guy who raked all day for the Marlins. He also happens to be a strong righthanded hitter who can play 1B, 2B, and 3B. He played plenty of shortstop in the minors, and I’d guess he’s a strong enough athlete to learn to play the outfield if necessary.

The Mets, of course, don’t need a righthanded slugger who can play all those positions … do they?