Should Fontenot play next to Ryan Theriot at the start of 2010?
Before the 2009 season, I was hoping the Cubs would give the second base job to Mike Fontenot. I even said that he was a “poor man’s Chase Utley” as he posted a .909 OPS and a .395 wOBA. In addition to his stellar bat, Fontenot put up a 18.1 UZR/150 in 2008. After spending a lot of time in the minors, it looked like the “Little Bulldog” was ready for a starting gig.
Jim Hendry rewarded Fontenot with the starting job, but brought in Aaron Miles just in case. In May, Aramis Ramirez dislocated his shoulder, forcing him to miss almost two months. The Cubs didn’t have a backup for Ramirez, so Fontenot shifted over to third. Once the Cubs brought in Jake Fox, Fontenot was shifted all over the infield, often not knowing when or where he was going to play.
Was this an excuse for his poor play in 2009? I think it had something to do with it, and although we cannot completely attribute his near 100 point drop in wOBA (.395 to .296) to the extra positions, it was a factor. Fontenot lost over 200 points in OPS, and became your replacement level player at second base. The one thing that never left was Fontenot’s defense. He was an average defender at third base, but was above average at second. Continue reading
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