May 13, 2057
by Banjo Jackson
Nashville, TN
In one of the deepest drafts in recent years, the Bluebirds sat with the 34th pick. They were elated to select high school C Michael ‘Shotgun’ Cantu. The young backstop out of Corpus Christi, TX won the 2057 Mauro Nieto Glove Award, an honor given to the nation’s top defensive high school catcher. In most of the drafts in the past decade, a player of such caliber would have been selected in the first 10 picks, so Bluebirds fans should be excited to have Cantu join the league’s top farm system with Nashville. It’s also an important pick because Jesús Rodríguez is on the brink of retirement.
C Michael Cantu
“We highly value defense behind the plate,” said GM Chad Nason. “We have been lucky enough to gift our pitchers with J-Rod behind the plate the past few years and now we hope Cantu can replace him one day. Plus, he’ll be coached by a Bluebirds legendary catcher in the minors. A-Rod will show him the ropes and hopefully teach him to become a better hitter along the way.”
While Cantu might not win any Puckett Golden Bat awards, he will be a valuable commodity behind the plate with his catching ability and cannon of an arm, both of which are extraordinary for his age. And despite his age, Cantu appears to be ready for the BBA as early as 2059 if his bat comes around. Rumors state J-Rod is looking for a 4 year extension, but the Bluebirds are reluctant to pay an aging catcher, so there might be a stopgap catcher for a year or two until Cantu is ready for The Show.
