Fontenot to get crack at shortstop, Piniella says
"Move could open up roster spot for Kevin Millar"
I seriously hope that Chad Tracy would get a shot to make the roster before we would give the roster spot to Millar.
almost 2 years ago
madcow256
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Or Darwin Barney
I hope that Castro doesn’t lose at bats in March over this.
or the club in general
making room on the roster for Kevin freaking Millar? Really.
I guess I'm just a worrier, that's why my friends call me whiskers
by Nunyabidness on Feb 24, 2010 9:08 PM CST up reply actions
OT...just wanted to tell you thanks c_f....
that Fergie Jenkins documentary was awesome….thanks for the link
baseball.........is Kool Aid the remedy, or the cause of my desire for it
by cooliogirl47 on Feb 25, 2010 8:12 AM CST up reply actions
Hey, no problem...
I LOVE that documentary! Glad you enjoyed it.
Nobody cares about your fantasy baseball team
by carmen_fanzone on Feb 25, 2010 3:05 PM CST up reply actions
oh yeah....
saw it on a cold Sun morning curled up in a big chair w/ a cup of coffee….and I thought that it was very appropriate to see Fanzone play the National Anthem! lol
baseball.........is Kool Aid the remedy, or the cause of my desire for it
by cooliogirl47 on Feb 25, 2010 3:44 PM CST up reply actions
Haha.
I’d always heard the story of him playing the national anthem, but to actually see it was pretty cool.
Nobody cares about your fantasy baseball team
by carmen_fanzone on Feb 25, 2010 3:57 PM CST up reply actions
actually this is a confidence thing
Fontenot played SS in the minors, is a better fielder than Ryan, he would make a platoon there while Baker is a better power guy and they could go with 3 middle infielders for a few months
Piniella: "This is a tougher job than I thought it would be, I'm going to be honest with you."
Didn't we try Fontenot at SS a few years ago?
And, if memory serves, didn’t he make a rather hilarious error that resulted in his being moved back to second almost immediately?
MLBMilestone.com - following the numbers to Cooperstown
He played SS in 4 games, less than 30 innings.
Really, he’s a MI and I don’t understand the angst of him getting some time there in ST.
If it works, it adds to his value for the Cubs or a trade partner. If it doesn’t work, nothing changes.
He played a little SS in the minors, some in college, probably a lot growing up. I’m much more concerned with the rotation and bullpen.
may addition by subtraction be real
I certainly have no problem with it.
I just think it’s funny they’re trying again, after the most recent attempt lasted almost-but-not-quite all the way through an inning.
MLBMilestone.com - following the numbers to Cooperstown
Idea
Is Fontenot out of options? Maybe let him start the season in AAA and get regular playing time and see if his swing from 2008 comes back to him or not. Ideally, Blanco would start there, but he is out of options. Blanco can back up Theriot and Baker up the middle.
If Cubs do that, they have to keep Tracy as A-Ram’s backup at 3rd.
Fontenot can be assigned to the minors, but...
… would have to clear Optional Assignment Waivers, which he wouldn’t. So you can forget that idea.
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
Ah
That changes things. It wil be interesting to see if Cubs keep Fontenot then. Probably doesn’t have much trade value at this point either.
Keep when?
For 2010, I would say he’s almost definitely staying on the roster. They’re trying him out at SS to see if they can do without Blanco.
For 2011, it would probably require a strong year for him to stay.
Agreed.
I agree with the statement below that Theriot & Fontenot are probably both in their last year as Cubs.
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
Which is why I'd much rather see blanco get the backup SS spot
I understand trying to kill two birds with 1 stone (2B platoon and backup SS), but come on, you’re talking about an incredible defensive SS option in Blanco vs. someone who has never really played SS at a professional level.
So much for any defense up the middle.
Theriot and Fontenot
will most likely be playing their last seasons in Chicago this year
Start Sean Marshall!!
I give. Why?
Either he can and is able to back up all IF positions, or he can’t and is competing with Tracy/Millar for a spot.
Does anyone know Blanco’s options status?
at daver's request, Let's frontload this B**ch!
Blanco is out of options...
…and has the right to decline being sent down and can choose free agency.
Several reasons ...
— Fontenot, apparently, can’t keep his batting average up while playing a position other than second. So say his defenders.
— Fontenot, IMO, needs to focus on his HITTING in spring training. Otherwise, he could get a roster spot going into the season, even if he struggles at the plate this spring ("Look, he had a tough month, but he was learning a new position … "). That might mean that Chad Tracy or someone more valuable doesn’t get a roster spot.
— If Fontenot beats out Blanco for the backup job, it means that we won’t have a true, natural SS on the roster. Essentially, this could be a repeat of Miles as the backup SS last year. I thought the Cubs wanted to try to improve their defense this season.
— Blanco’s out of options, and if the Cubs let him go, and Fontenot fails, they might have to TRADE for someone during the season who can do what Blanco already does.
— Fontenot at short in ST could mean less time for the Cubs to evaluate Castro.
I’ve suggested that the Cubs try Baker in the outfield this spring, to see what he can do there. Lots of posters, including Al, have decried that as a waste of time, because Baker will be at second and third (and maybe at first).
I don’t see much of a difference here, other than the fact that it would be EASIER to find time in the OF for Baker (at either corner spot) than it would be to give Fontenot time at short.
Someone below suggested that this might be a way to showcase Fontenot for a trade. That would be fine, but if it’s not, my hope is that the Cubs consider ST to be a competition among Fontenot, Tracy and even Millar and Hoff.
"Fontenot at short in ST could mean less time for the Cubs to evaluate Castro."
Oh, come on. There are plenty of split squad games this year, and I don’t think anyone seriously thinks Starlin Castro will make the major league team this year.
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
YOU'RE one of the people saying ...
we can’t put Baker in the OF in ST because of all the guys competing for time. What’s the difference?
There are a lot more outfielders around than infielders.
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
Well ...
We know that Soriano, Byrd, Fukudome, Nady and Fuld will make the club, barring injuries. And I doubt that Soriano or Nady will play all that much in ST, considering that they’re both recovering from injuries. In other words, we know who our outfielders are likely going to be — and two of them won’t be used all that much in ST. Seems like putting Baker in the OF for a split-squad game or two won’t be that tough.
Meanwhile, the Cubs are using ST as a way to evaluate Castro (even if he won’t be up this season), Theriot (who’s not coming off an injury) will get a good amount of playing time and Blanco will no doubt get time to try to earn a spot.
I think putting Fontenot at short is a bad idea for a host of reasons. But I can’t see how anyone would like the idea AND be opposed to giving Baker some time in the outfield.
I'm not necessarily in favor of the Fontenot at SS idea, either.
I just don’t think it would affect any evaluation of Castro. FWIW, any serious evaluation of Castro can’t be done in a handful of games this spring, when he’s not even on the 40-man roster.
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
do you think I'm wrong on my assessment of outfield playing time?
I’m not trying to be argumentative. But with split-squad games, Soriano and Nady being gimpy and Baker not able to play center (in case someone unexpected challenges Fuld for the fifth OF spot), I don’t think there’s any reason — considering overall playing time — why Baker couldn’t get time in the corner spots.
Arguing that Baker should FOCUS on the infield makes more sense to me (though I don’t totally agree there, either). But I’d rather try Baker in left than someone who doesn’t have a chance to make the roster — like Jason Dubois.
Baker is going to be the starting 2B.
There are several other options for backup outfield spots — about six people ahead of Jason Dubois.
In short, why bother, unless you are just trying to turn a starting player into “the next DeRosa” for no particular reason.
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
That's an assumption or a bold prediction.
According to Bruce Levine, http://espn.go.com/blog/chicago/cubs/post/_/id/345/cubs-spring-training-news-notes-feb-23, there is a competition between Baker and Fontenot for the staring 2B job.
As for the options ahead of Dubois, there are only three who a) have a chance at making the team, barring major injuries and b) could lose ST playing time to Baker. Those three are Tracy (arguably not an outfielder), Hoff (someone whom the Cubs have seen play the field for two years) and Colvin (who could get playing time in center, even if Baker is in left or right). Am I forgetting someone?
As to why I would bother giving Baker some time in the outfield …
1) Preseason games don’t count, so who cares if he’s bad out there?
2) Two of the outfielders who will likely make the opening day roster are recovering from injuries, and Sam Fuld crashes into more walls than a NASCAR driver.
3) If Baker loses the 2B derby to Fontenot, he becomes more valuable off the bench if he can play five positions instead of three.
4) Baker showing he can play the outfield would free the Cubs to be more creative with roster moves.
In 2007, Ryan Theriot was given time in the outfield during ST.
He was bad. Nevertheless, Lou started him in one game in the regular season in RF. He was bad again, and never played there again.
Of your four points, only #1 and #4 have some validity. #2 is irrelevant because there are plenty of people who can play out there, and #3 is irrelevant because I don’t think Baker will “lose” anything; at worst, he’ll be a platoon player.
I just don’t see the point.
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
Rebuttal
2) The Cubs can only carry so many people on the 25-man roster. Should Nady and Soriano go down around the same time, Baker could be moved to the outfield immediately — rather than having to wait to call up someone from the minors and burn through their options.
3) That’s an interesting point, Al. But if Baker is in a straight platoon with Fontenot (possible if Baker has a bad spring and Fontenot has a good one), Baker becomes more of a bench player, because more starting pitchers are right handed.
also ...
I know about Theriot in 2007. But what happened in that situation doesn’t make me think it’s not worth trying with Baker. As I recall, Theriot didn’t cost us any games, and the experiment didn’t keep Lou from putting Theriot at short over Izturis.
True, which should tell you....
… that not all of Lou’s brainstorms are good ideas.
I think we’ll have to agree to disagree here.
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
that's fine, Al
But I’m amazed at how intractable you are on this. Testing something out in ST that could make the team more flexible (i.e. deeper) is a good idea — and I don’t see how there WON’T be enough time to give Baker, Colvin, Hoff, Tracy, et. al time in the OF.
Hey, you think one way...
… I think another. I don’t see you changing your mind on this issue, either.
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
almost none of his brainstorms are good ideas
actually.
I guess I'm just a worrier, that's why my friends call me whiskers
by Nunyabidness on Feb 24, 2010 9:17 PM CST up reply actions
putting Theriot at short ...
was certainly an improvement over Izturis. And he was smart to put Jacque Jones in center. He also realized that Soriano would hit better in left and moved Dempster to the rotation.
Now, none of those moves happened after April 2008, which is kind of alarming …
I agree Castro wont make the team this year
but I certainly want him to get every at bat possible, it can only help him to get some confidence.
and, no ...
I don’t think Castro’s going be on the MLB roster on opening day. But Lou and his staff could use ST to evaluate him so Castro isn’t called up too early.
other than that one, he makes valid points
I guess I'm just a worrier, that's why my friends call me whiskers
by Nunyabidness on Feb 24, 2010 9:24 PM CST up reply actions
Good point - they may also be gauging whether Blanco has any value and
if Fontenot can fill the void until Castro is ready and Theriot can backup SS.
at daver's request, Let's frontload this B**ch!
No, I was thinking Fontenot backs up SS while Theriot starts.
Castro starts at SS when he’s “ready” and Theriot is #2 on the SS depth chart while either the utility IF or starting 2b.
at daver's request, Let's frontload this B**ch!
That could be.
I suppose Fontenot would bring more to the table offensively as a backup than Blanco, but I have to think the team already knows that Blanco is far better defensively at SS than Fontenot.
My guess is Fontenot would have more trade value than Blanco, so the Cubs are going to show scouts that Mike can play a passable shortstop along with a good defensive second base. Plus, he’s already logged a certain amount of major league innings at third base. Then maybe they package him with an arm for a set-up guy. Crazy?
Not at all. I'm only thinking that if
Fontenot plays passable enough SS and other teams view Blanco/Fontenot as a wash (one tilts to glove, the other to bat) for a utility role, Fontenot may have more value to this years team short term with Castro waiting in the wings.
It’s not like a package of Fontenot/arm brings Papelbon and Blanco/arm gets Chad Fox.
at daver's request, Let's frontload this B**ch!
Fontenot has played SS for the Cubs before
And was replaced mid-game by DeRosa. I was at the game a few years back and Fontenot started off by playing SS. He had a rough go there and Lou flipped DeRosa an Fontenot in the middle of the game. It reminded me of a softball game.
I’d rather have Blanco as backup SS and just part ways with Fontenot.
Always loyal to Leon
he has zero value now
playing a bad shortstop in the spring certainly isn’t going to improve that.
I guess I'm just a worrier, that's why my friends call me whiskers
by Nunyabidness on Feb 24, 2010 9:15 PM CST up reply actions
I don't know about zero value and agree if he's bad at it,
but what if he’s not terrible?
may addition by subtraction be real
Blasphemer - who will be the bullpen's version of the emergency quarterback.
A guy who dresses, but never gets in the game unless there’s an extra inning game.
at daver's request, Let's frontload this B**ch!
And then gives up six runs because he hasn't pitched in 12 days.
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
Exactly. I overheard that position is used as part of a secret
pitching coach apprentice program.
at daver's request, Let's frontload this B**ch!
Hmm, what's Jon Lieber up to these days?
"There's more to life than profits...like, you know, slurpees and stuff." ~Randy Marsh
Doesn't matter.
Lou wouldn’t use him in long relief, either.
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
duh, Carlos Silva
I guess I'm just a worrier, that's why my friends call me whiskers
by Nunyabidness on Feb 24, 2010 9:10 PM CST up reply actions
Theriot - no time at 2B
The part that surprised me most was the declaration that Theriot wouldn’t see time at 2B. Now maybe a move to 2B would be straightforward enough that he doesn’t need spring training time there.
I acknowledge that every grounder Theriot takes on the right side of the infield will lead to a dozen articles debating the readiness of Castro, but it does seem like a poor decision to not prepare Theriot for a potentially important role as a middle infield swing guy.
Eamus Ursuli!
My guess is,
the reason the Cubs aren’t going to play Theriot at 2nd base in ST is they are already confidant he can play the position.
That’s not the case for Fontenot. Lou determined a couple of years ago Fontenot couldn’t play SS but for whatever reason, they’ve decided to give it another try.
Hey, it's a new century!
by cowsarecool220 on Feb 24, 2010 10:46 AM CST up reply actions 1 recs
I certainly hope so
There are plenty of folks predicting this will be Theriot’s final year as a Cub.
However, even if Castro doesn’t play in Chicago until September and has a strong AAA season, he would still be just a 20 year old SS. It will be important to have a viable backup plan in place since passable SS’s don’t grow on trees.
Eamus Ursuli!
Well, if that helps
I’d be in favor of giving Fontenot crack, weed, steroids, or amphetamines to make him a real player.
There is no such thing as an ugly female breast
bad idea
Good evening Sir, my name is Mike. I come from a rough area. I used to be addicted to crack but now I am off it and trying to stay clean. That is why I am selling magazine subscriptions.
There goes one over the fence...a Tru-Link fence.
by truelinkfence on Feb 24, 2010 8:45 PM CST up reply actions
I can't believe I just bought 40 subscriptions to Vibe
"Baseball is almost the only orderly thing in a very unorderly world. If you get three strikes, even the best lawyer in the world can't get you off." ~ Bill Veeck
by Musicdude10 on Feb 25, 2010 10:16 AM CST up reply actions
I don't see
Fontenot having any range at SS. This makes no sense unless they want to move him. This year will be the last in a Cub uniform for Fontenot.
Is Lou drunk?
And the eighth and final rule: if this is your first time at Fight Club, you have to fight.
no, still just incredibly stupid
I guess I'm just a worrier, that's why my friends call me whiskers
by Nunyabidness on Feb 24, 2010 9:12 PM CST up reply actions
Could Millar be a backup 3B?
Sounds scary. I’d rather Tracy, Baker, or Fontenot playing 3B when A-Ram needs a day off, but I saw Millar played 21 innings at 3B last year for the first time since the Marlins tried him there in 2002.
Are the Cubs even trying him there this spring? I would think it’s not a good idea, but I’ve never seen him play there.
For a player like Millar ...
there’s no reason (that I can think of) NOT to try him at third in ST. He’s not guaranteed a roster spot, the games don’t count and he would need to be able to do more than play first to justify a spot on the club. I don’t think he can play the OF at this point.
The best reason NOT to do something like this is if it comes at the expense of other players who could actually make the roster or it hurts the player who’s part of the experiment.
I could say the same thing about your "Baker in the outfield" idea.
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
and you'd be wrong, IMO
Baker has played the OF at the MLB level before, so I don’t think it would affect his hitting or his infield defense.
More importantly, we pretty much KNOW who the Cubs five outfielders will be — Soriano, Nady, Byrd, Fukudome and Fuld. The first two guys will likely take it easy in ST, and Byrd and Fuld are centerfielders. In other words, of those five, only one, Kosuke, could lose playing time if Baker got some games in the outfield, because no one is suggesting Baker in center.
There are only three other guys in camp (as far as I can tell) who have a CHANCE to make the team and who play the outfield. Colvin (who could play center, if Baker’s in right or left), Tracy (more of an infielder, anyway) and Hoff (whom the Cubs have watched for two years in the OF).
As it happens ...
I now understand why the Cubs didn’t view Baker as a platoon partner for Kosuke and sign Hudson instead of Nady, something I advocated for a while. It’s pretty clear the Cubs wanted a thumper to play left should Soriano get hurt — and valued that over getting a speedster at second.
Obviously, Hudson signed for more than Nady, so the point is kinda moot. But I understand why the Cubs didn’t think the same way I did about making Baker a SEMI-REGULAR in the outfield.
I'm reallllllly getting tired of...
hearing Kevin Millar’s name.
by kanderber on Feb 24, 2010 12:20 PM CST reply actions 2 recs
also Rec'd
the dude’s career was over three years ago.
I guess I'm just a worrier, that's why my friends call me whiskers
by Nunyabidness on Feb 24, 2010 9:12 PM CST up reply actions
but what about clubhouse chemistry?!?!??
It’s the left-handed bat of 2010!
They banned most of it.
No more hopped up coffee, greenies, andro, hgh, clear, cream, coke, crack, weed, etc.
I guess this means the guys can no longer live in an alternate reality and actually have to interact with each other. Not good, not good.
may addition by subtraction be real
Thoughts
Trying Fontenot at SS should have more to do with gaging the need to keep Blanco or having somebody else backup at SS. There might also be some interest in wanting more opportunities to insert the lefty in the lineup.
If Nady doesn’t start the season, then I could see considering the extra infielder Millar. Or they might end-up keeping Millar on the roster over any Iowa shuttle player who doesn’t have a good spring. Whether he deserves to be or not, Fontenot is more than an shuttle player and they are not going to trade their lefty middle infielder before the season starts.
I guess Theriot is too tall
to be a SHORT stop..
newest member of the Austin Variety Show www.austinvarietyshow.com/
Anything's possible, I guess.
But it’s pretty unlikely Fontenot is going to look better defensively at shortstop than Andres Blanco – and Darwin Barney may fit into the picture somewhere here, too. That’s why I suspect this is more related to boosting Fontenot’s trade value.
And I get ridiculed for predicting a sub 500 team
For crying out loud, the $140 million payroll Cubs are actually dicking around — once again — with the awful idea of Mike Fontenot assisting at shortstop.
The Blackhawks and the Stanley Cup in 2010.
I think you'd be safe in saying they're actually dicking around by keeping him on the roster at all
but for some reason, there are those who disagree.
I guess I'm just a worrier, that's why my friends call me whiskers
by Nunyabidness on Feb 24, 2010 9:13 PM CST up reply actions
What, ST? Not ST, what about the sanctity of the game?
Is there no respect? Where is something actually important for my outrage?
Isn’t this going to hinder Hoff’s development? How will shark develop a 4th pitch, let alone a 3rd pitch worrying about the hamster behind him?
Oh the huge manatee!
may addition by subtraction be real
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