Fontenot signing shouldn't affect Galvis
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Fontenot signing shouldn't affect Galvis
David Murphy, Daily News Staff Writer
The Phillies just announced that they have signed veteran utility man Mike Fontenot to a minor league deal, but there have been no indications that general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. looks at the 31-year-old as anything more than a back-up.
The Phillies seem happy with the play of rookie second baseman Freddy Galvis, and Fontenot has logged more than 284 plate appearances only once in his career. Last year, he hit .227/.304/.377 with four home runs and 48 strikeouts in 252 plate appearances for the Giants.
Fontenot is regarded as little more than an adequate defender all the way around the diamond, while Galvis has shown the potential for a plus glove at second base and short stop. Fontenot still has some name recognition from a 2008 campaign in which he hit .305/.395/.514 with nine home runs in 284 plate appearances. Since then, though, he has hit just .247/.310/.376 with 14 home runs in 932 plate appearances: Wilson Valdez numbers, in other words.
Fontenot could replace Pete Orr on the bench as the utility man, but don't expect him to replace Galvis. Besides, Fontenot is left-handed, which is Galvis' stronger side of the plate.
Wow. Another left-handed bat. adios Orr, it's been nice knowing you.— ESFjellin- Some of us are Orrmen— NewMick314
- Orr not.— gentian
- Mike Fonte-NO.— ESFjellin
- :-) Fonte-not? — raboo
- This guy is just like Orr, I don't understand the singing. Unless someone got hurt and we don't know yet.— SilliBilli
- I dunno, maybe because he's out of tune or off-pitch? or maybe because he's mumbling the words or not projecting his voice enough? or maybe he's just not very good? Ohhhhhhh, wait a minute, you meant "signing", not singing. Silly me.
— BigRoundRed 
" They have the same body length, height, width, weight, wheel-base, and wheel-track as the 1964 Buick Skylark." "It's a B.S question" "Oh, My God , It's a F....N Nightmare" no, It is backup infield depth like Murph said. Jeeez!— DUDESKINS- leftie ... we need wright power...— hardball
- Might just be minor league depth at this point.— Sidewinder7
- Galvis goes deep tonight!— kjuggs77
- Boys, it is a MINOR LEAGUE contract - strictly an emergency plug!! Stop with the kvetching already!!— billtfla
- They might as well bring Fontenot right up to the big club instead of even going through the routine of having him play a few gamesat AAA. He's a much better player than Pete Orr. When a manager doesn't use a player for the first seven games of the season, he has no confidence in him as is the case of Charlie Manuel not using Pete Orr. Perhaps Orr was stricly on the roster by GM Amaro's insistence. It's pretty clear that Manuel didn't want him.— D.K.O.
- Didn't the Cubs once have Fontenot and Theirot in their infield simultaneously? They sound less like baSEBALL PLAYERS than a pair of defensemen on the Montreal Canadiens or perhaps the co-owners of a crepe shop in Marseilles.— D.K.O.
- He'll steal, right? I'm fine with having a late-inning pinch runner for Thome, Nix, and Wiggington.— HandNik
