Is Fontenot the real deal?

[TruffleShuffle]

Illustrating this point....

 

Fontenot K% (2002-03 #s should be very close, but maybe not perfect):

 

'02: 21.4% (yikes)

'03: 17.3%

'04: 18.8%

'05: 17.1% <-- first year in Cubs system

'06: 15.3%

'07 (Iowa): 13.7%

'07 (Chi): 12.5%

[rawaction]

Fontenot can really hit. He can't hit as well as he has so far, consistently, but he's a guy that could conceivably hit .300 with 15 HRs.

 

I see the top of his production in the .300/.370/.470 range.

 

While most likely being a guy that will put up .280/.340/.440. The question with him has always been his ability to field his position, wherever that may be.

 

I don't get to actually watch many games right now, so I haven't seen him play. What are his defensive shortcomings? I assume he has the arm for 2b, as all that requires is he physically have an arm. So is it range? Does he boot the ball a lot?

 

He's shown none so far. He looks to have a better than average arm. He looks to have above average range. I always heard his problem was his hands. That he doesn't field the ball cleanly enough. He doesn't make the spectacular play (although, he has made a couple so far in the majors), and had a tendency to boot easy ones also. He committed 65 errors at 2B in 3 years as an Orioles prospect.

[Shilzzz]

plus he has been hitting leftys, to the tune of .388/.417/.642 ... very impressive. though it has been said a million times before: just about any minor league player can come up to the bigs and put up those kind of numbers in a month of major league action. but here's to optimism!

[Transmogrified Tiger]

Fontenot has way more pop than Theriot, but I love the way both of them play. Theriot is probably better defensively and on the bases.

Theriot is beter on the basepaths, but I've heard that Fontenot is the superior feilder.

 

I don't think you heard correctly.

[Bruno7481]

I think he can be adequate at least. Seems to have a good approach at the plate. I just keep waiting for the dropoff here. If he keeps this up he'll secure himself a few ROY votes.

[PackLandVA]

he has good minor league stats, but no, this is not the real fontenot and that should be obvious.

 

"Is he for real" and "Is this the real Fontenot" have two completly different meanings.

 

I don't think anyone believes this is the real Fontenot batt near or over .400. However, I think Fontenot can be for real in a sense that he can be a very solid MLB player.

 

Just my interpretation.

[Abe Frohman]

Fontenot has way more pop than Theriot, but I love the way both of them play. Theriot is probably better defensively and on the bases.

Theriot is beter on the basepaths, but I've heard that Fontenot is the superior feilder.

 

I don't think you heard correctly.

 

I wonder how long the Fontenot/SS project will go on? I don't know how much SS he has played in his career. I do know that Theriot is originally a SS and feels the most comfortable at that position. Looks good having Theriot, Fontenot, and DeRosa - all capable of playing 2B, SS, and 3B (if needed.

 

I like the depth.

[TruffleShuffle]

Fontenot has way more pop than Theriot, but I love the way both of them play. Theriot is probably better defensively and on the bases.

Theriot is beter on the basepaths, but I've heard that Fontenot is the superior feilder.

 

I don't think you heard correctly.

 

I wonder how long the Fontenot/SS project will go on? I don't know how much SS he has played in his career. I do know that Theriot is originally a SS and feels the most comfortable at that position. Looks good having Theriot, Fontenot, and DeRosa - all capable of playing 2B, SS, and 3B (if needed.

 

Theriot can be an average to below-average SS at the big league level. Fontenot won't - he'll be lousy. If he played every day, he'd probably be the worst fielding regular SS in the big leagues. His range is marginal, and his arm is bad. I'm not saying that he shouldn't get a chance at SS - if he can put up a line like .280/.360/.450/.810, his production would outweigh his defensive shortcomings. But if you put him at short for his bat, you have to be willing to take your lumps defensively.

[SouthSideRyan]

I don't understand why DeRosa wasn't the one to get the tryout at SS instead of Fontenot.

[Post Count Padder]

Fontenot has way more pop than Theriot, but I love the way both of them play. Theriot is probably better defensively and on the bases.

Theriot is beter on the basepaths, but I've heard that Fontenot is the superior feilder.

 

I don't think you heard correctly.

I guess not.

[CubColtPacer]

I don't understand why DeRosa wasn't the one to get the tryout at SS instead of Fontenot.

 

I don't either. The only thing I can think of is that earlier in the season when Izturis was struggling DeRosa and Theriot both got some work in practice at SS. After that work, they decided to put Theriot there, and they haven't played DeRosa there once. Now they decide to put Fontenot there-they must have seen something about DeRosa at SS that they didn't like.

[OleMissCub]

Yep, he seems like a solid hitter, who understands the game well.

[A New Era]

Fontenot was one of our first round picks wasn't he?

 

Does anybody remember it, why we picked him, what he was projected to do, and why we picked him?

[CubColtPacer]

Fontenot was one of our first round picks wasn't he?

 

Does anybody remember it, why we picked him, what he was projected to do, and why we picked him?

 

Fontenot was one of the players that came over from Baltimore in the Sosa deal.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

Fontenot was one of our first round picks wasn't he?

 

Does anybody remember it, why we picked him, what he was projected to do, and why we picked him?

 

We got him from Baltimore for Sosa.

[Amazing_Grace]

Fontenot has way more pop than Theriot, but I love the way both of them play. Theriot is probably better defensively and on the bases.

Theriot is beter on the basepaths, but I've heard that Fontenot is the superior feilder.

 

I don't think you heard correctly.

 

I wonder how long the Fontenot/SS project will go on? I don't know how much SS he has played in his career. I do know that Theriot is originally a SS and feels the most comfortable at that position. Looks good having Theriot, Fontenot, and DeRosa - all capable of playing 2B, SS, and 3B (if needed.

 

I like the depth.

 

My guess would be that it will go on as long as he keeps hitting. Lou seems to be thinking that with Pie cooling off and Barrett being traded, he needs more offense out of his middle infield. I agree with him. We'll see how bad Fontenot looks at SS. If his bat cools off the way Theriot's has, he'll probably not last long. The two players are fairly similar. Small sized middle infielders that are average to below average defensively that are fairly patient and have limited power.

 

I still have hope that Theriot will rebound and put up around a .330-.350 OBP, which would be very good for a SS that has speed and steals at a good clip. It would also likely put the Cubs in the top 10 teams in terms of OBP from that position. A middle infield of Theriot/Fontenot would be very cheap for several years and with DeRosa signed through 09 to what is looking to be a very reasonable contract, we basically have three guys to fill the MI and utility roles. That should free us up to concentrate on getting better in the outfield.

 

That's the optimistic view. The pessimistic side of me realizes that Theriot probably won't rebound and Fontenot will probably end up looking, at best, very average by the end of the year. The consolation is, even if that's the case, they give you more than the likes of Augie, Neifi, Macias, etc. for a fraction of the price.

[A New Era]

Fontenot was one of our first round picks wasn't he?

 

Does anybody remember it, why we picked him, what he was projected to do, and why we picked him?

 

We got him from Baltimore for Sosa.

 

Oh I see, thanks. I misread a list probably. Thanks to CCP too.

[Amazing_Grace]

Fontenot was one of our first round picks wasn't he?

 

Does anybody remember it, why we picked him, what he was projected to do, and why we picked him?

 

We got him from Baltimore for Sosa.

 

So, 3 years later, we finally get something positive out of the Sosa trade.

[Guest]

Fontenot was one of our first round picks wasn't he?

 

Does anybody remember it, why we picked him, what he was projected to do, and why we picked him?

 

We got him from Baltimore for Sosa.

 

Oh I see, thanks. I misread a list probably. Thanks to CCP too.

 

He was a first round pick of the Orioles, though.

[Abe Frohman]

The two players are fairly similar. Small sized middle infielders that are average to below average defensively that are fairly patient and have limited power.

 

The two guys have similarities offensively, but Theriot will not be hitting for power while Fontenot has surprising power for a guy his size. He can hit the long ball, but I wouldn't expect more than 15-20 HR out of him in a good year at the Major League level. I think both of them have the capability to hit around .300 with plenty of runs scored, and Theriot is more than able to steal 20-30 bags with regular play.

 

I am wondering if this is a slump he is in or just ML pitching has figured him out. I like to think a slump, since he has been hitting the ball much harder this past week.

 

I am right with you on the Theriot/Fontenot middle infield - as long as they are producing with the bats. It's a solid option at a cheap price.

[jjgman21]

Fontenot was one of our first round picks wasn't he?

 

Does anybody remember it, why we picked him, what he was projected to do, and why we picked him?

 

We got him from Baltimore for Sosa.

 

So, 3 years later, we finally get something positive out of the Sosa trade.

 

no, the Cubs got instant payoff when Burnitz outperformed Sosa for a few dollars less than the Cubs would have had to pay Sosa and by getting him to opt out of the rest of his contract so they weren't hung with 18M in dead weight for 2006.

[jjgman21]

what I really like about Fontenot right now and gives me hope he can sustain some solid (not this level but still solid) production for a couple/few more weeks is there's nowhere to get him out right now.

 

he's driven balls down both lines, to both gaps, up the middle, and sent bombs over the wall to both left and right. combine that with a good eye, and pitchers still don't know where to go to get him out. and what's great about that is once they do, he has a history of talking some walks, so that will sustain him for awhile too.

 

just think where he would be if a few of those rockets he's sent at various thirdbasemen found their way down the line. he's been absolutely Fontastic ©

[Bruce Miles]

And on top of it all, Lou hasn't been afraid to let the kids play and allow millons of dollars to sit on the bench. That would not have happened in, oh, the past four years. The two things I like about Piniella are his flexibility and creativity. And he's not afraid to throw young players in at key times.

[ctcf]

And on top of it all, Lou hasn't been afraid to let the kids play and allow millons of dollars to sit on the bench. That would not have happened in, oh, the past four years. The two things I like about Piniella are his flexibility and creativity. And he's not afraid to throw young players in at key times.

 

QFT

[Soul]

Fontenot was one of our first round picks wasn't he?

 

Does anybody remember it, why we picked him, what he was projected to do, and why we picked him?

 

We got him from Baltimore for Sosa.

 

So, 3 years later, we finally get something positive out of the Sosa trade.

 

no, the Cubs got instant payoff when Burnitz outperformed Sosa for a few dollars less than the Cubs would have had to pay Sosa and by getting him to opt out of the rest of his contract so they weren't hung with 18M in dead weight for 2006.

 

I think you're right, but it would be nice to have Fontenot become a solid member of the team long-term as a final payoff from the whole Sosa meltdown.

 

Even if he just settles in as a solid bench player.