Over the course of the offseason, the San Diego Padres have made a pretty thorough overhaul of their starting infield. Once that was complete, they turned their attention to depth, and it was with that in mind that, on Monday, they signed free agent Jorge Cantu to a one-year contract.
Jorge Cantu Signs One-Year Contract, Brings Bat To Padres Bench
According to Marty Caswell, Cantu will earn a base salary of $850,000, and it's possible that his contract includes some incentives. He's expected to serve as insurance behind first baseman Brad Hawpe and third baseman Chase Headley.
The nearly-29-year-old Cantu spent last season with the Marlins and Rangers, batting .256 with 11 home runs. While his numbers took a fall, though, he owns a career .446 slugging percentage and .766 OPS, and the righty will give manager Bud Black an option against tough southpaws. He isn't highly regarded as a defender, so the Padres won't want to see too much of him in the field, but he's a low-cost pickup that should help more than he hurts.
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