The 2011 San Diego Padres represent the second roster assembled by Jed Hoyer and his staff. One thing is pretty clear about Hoyer's philosophy about roster construction; he understands the value of bench players. Last year Jerry Hairston Jr. played a key reserve role for the Friars. This year Jorge Cantu has the chance to impact the Padres on-field fortunes in much the same way.

Hairston Jr., for those of you that don't recall, filled in admirably at 2B and SS when injuries and/or ineffectiveness forced SS Everth Cabrera and 2B David Eckstein to the bench. Last year's squad was built around pitching and defense and the club could ill afford to have a below-average defender in either of those key defensive positions. Hairston Jr. didn't disappoint.

This offseason Hoyer made it his priority to improve up the middle. He added SS Jason Bartlett and CF Cameron Maybin via trade and signed 2B Orlando Hudson as a free agent. Assuming they remain healthy, those players will represent major upgrades offensively and defensively. As a result there was little room for Hairston Jr. on the roster and he took his skills to Washington.

Another move made by Hoyer was the trade of Adrian Gonzalez to Boston. This created a huge void in the Friars lineup; one which the Friars attempted to address by signing FA OF/1B Brad Hawpe. However, given that Hawpe is a LH hitter, Hoyer decided to add a RH hitting IF with the ability to play multiple positions. Enter Jorge Cantu.

Cantu signed a major league deal worth less than a million bucks. A year ago the Friars wouldn't have been able to get Cantu or any similar player for that price. Cantu knocked in 100 runs in 2009 and in 2008 he hit 29 HR while driving in 95 runs.

However Cantu struggled terribly in 2010 hitting just 11 HR with an OPS of .696. He was traded from Florida to Texas but got very little playing time down the stretch and in the playoffs for the Rangers. With a glut of veteran 1B and DH on the market, Cantu wasn't able to attract much interest and the Padres were able to secure his services on the cheap.

Cantu has a chance to play a big role here in San Diego. As mentioned, next year's projected starting 1B, Brad Hawpe, is a LH hitter and is coming off a poor season split between Colorado and Tampa. Cantu could serve as a platoon partner with Hawpe and play against LHP. Cantu has a career .773 OPS against LHP. That number is actually skewed by an abnormally low .647 OPS last year. Prior to 2010, Cantu recorded OPS marks of .892 and .869 in 2009 and 2008 respectively.

He also has experience at 3B too where the incumbent starter, Chase Headley, has struggled mightily in his career from the right side posting just a .655 OPS in his career against LHP. Some say Headley might have tired out as he did appear in 161 contests. That theory is supported by his season-low .494 OPS in the month of September. The Padres and Headley might benefit from resting Chase and having Cantu around makes that easier to do.

The NL West is stacked with LH starting pitchers. The Diamondbacks expect Zach Duke and Joe Saunders to make their rotation. The Dodgers have Ted Lilly and young ace Clayton Kershaw dealing from the left side. Jorge De La Rosa had a breakout season with Colorado. The Giants have 3 lefties expected to start games this season; Madison Bumgarner, Barry Zito and Jonathan Sanchez. Chances are Cantu will see plenty of opportunities to help the Friars with the bat.

Unfortunately Cantu is no Hairston Jr. with the glove. Hairston Jr. finished 2010 with a 9.8 UZR/150 at SS, a 36.1 in limited innings at 3B and a very good 14.7 UZR/150 at his natural position of 2B. The only position that Cantu is even above average is 1B where he is a career 0.9 UZR/150. He's a -16.6 UZR/150 at 3B. If Cantu is going to help the Friars on the field he is more likely to do it with the bat rather than with the leather.

Hoyer wants to build a roster strong in pitching and defense. He also decided to try to assemble a lineup with more depth than last year's. None of the players the Friars added can come close to matching Gonzo with the bat. But what the Friars do have is a lineup that is far better 1 - 8 than last year's. Cantu has a chance to make the club's offense even stronger and deeper.