Q: I enjoyed your article on the Hall of Fame. But please remember Ron Santo. It’s more of a tragedy than a mistake not to have him in the Hall.
— William Willer, Crown Point, Ind.

A: Santo’s candidacy is in the hands of the Veterans Committee now, and we know how well that’s going for him. And you’re right, it’s really a shame, because I feel he belongs in the Hall.

I never got a chance to vote for him, because his last year on the writers’ ballot (1998) came one year before I became an eligible voter.

But Santo’s numbers and other accomplishments put him in the top 10 all-time among third basemen — Bill James has him rated sixth, one spot ahead of Brooks Robinson — and I’ve long felt that position is under-represented in the Hall.

But you also can make the argument that his career fell short of the usual Hall benchmarks: .277 career average, 342 home runs, 2,254 hits in only 15 seasons.

It’s interesting to note that Santo never got remotely close to being elected by the writers. His highest voting percentage (43.1 percent) came in his final year on the ballot, and he didn’t reach the 30 percent range until his ninth year of eligibility.

The Veterans Committee has drawn a lot of criticism for its hesitancy to elect players, but it appears as if it will stick to its guns on Santo, who was denied again in the recent balloting that resulted in Joe Gordon’s selection.

Q: What’s going on with Jake Peavy? Is there still a chance he’ll go to the Cubs?
— Carl, Jacksonville, N.C.

A: That situation appears to be on hold, Carl. From the Padres’ standpoint, as you probably know, they are in the process of being purchased by Jeff Moorad and his group.

That prompts a couple of questions, led by will the new ownership group be able to afford the $63 million Peavy is owed over the next four seasons? If so, then they might choose to hang onto their ace.

They also could decide that Peavy is too expensive, and in that case, Peavy will be traded — but possibly not until just before the July 31 deadline.

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From the Cubs’ standpoint, they also are in the process of being sold, and are in the midst of some budget tightening — although nowhere near as dire a situation as the one that exists in San Diego.

They also just spent $30 million to sign Milton Bradley — a questionable move, for sure — and may not be as willing to take on Peavy’s deal, unless they move more salary, as they already have done by trading Mark DeRosa and Jason Marquis.

Meanwhile, another possibility for a Peavy landing spot disappeared with the Braves’ signing of Derek Lowe. You really can question that move, too, as the Braves could have completed a deal in November for Peavy, who is better than Lowe and eight years younger. Yet, the financial obligations for the two pitchers over the next four years are almost the same.

Q: Whatever happened to Dallas McPherson, one-time Angels third baseman?
— Mindy D’Amico, Winnetka, Calif.

A: McPherson signed as a minor-league free agent with the Florida Marlins organization in 2008, and remains on their 40-man roster. He is expected to compete for a corner-infield spot in spring training.

The 6-4, 235-pound third baseman played in only 11 games with the Marlins last season — all in September — hitting .182 in 11 at-bats.

But he did have a huge season at Triple-A Albuquerque, where he led the minor leagues in home runs with 42. That represented a nice comeback for the 28-year-old, who missed much of the 2005-07 seasons due to back problems that led to fusion surgery.

The Marlins have traded away first baseman Mike Jacobs, and have explored the possibility of dealing third baseman Jorge Cantu as well. Assuming he stays, Cantu is expected to slide over to first base, opening a job for newly acquired Emilio Bonafacio.

McPherson, 1B/3B Wes Helms and 1B Gabe Sanchez will compete for one or possibly two more corner-infield spots on manager Fredi Gonzalez’s roster.