Martinez replaces Fontenot
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Martinez replaces Fontenot
Matt Gelb, Inquirer Staff Writer
Michael Martinez has only played in 16 games for the Phillies this season. (Jim Mone/AP Photo)
WASHINGTON — The Phillies shuffled utility infielders Wednesday by designating Mike Fontenot for assignment and recalling Mike Martinez.
Fontenot, 32, was signed to a minor-league deal and hit OK in limited action. He batted .289 with a .683 OPS in 47 games. Martinez, 28, spent all of last season on the roster as a Rule 5 pick. He's played in only 16 games this season.
Fontenot has a better bat, but he was made superfluous with Kevin Frandsen, who has a similar skill set. Martinez is a better defender who can play shortstop. Martinez has a higher chance of playing in 2013 for the Phillies, so they'll use him instead of the veteran Fontenot.
Martinez was hitting .271 with a .732 OPS at triple-A Lehigh Valley.
Subtracting Fontenot puts the 40-man roster at 38.
The Phillies also announced Nate Schierholtz and Josh Lindblom will be active for Wednesday's game. Schierholtz will wear No. 22 and Lindblom is No. 43.
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Buy Phillies tickets Comments (54)
Come on. The guy had 45 major league ABs this year coming off an injury. Hardly a sample set. He's hitting over .270 in the minors and his main value is as a defensive utility guy. There's no reason not to get him some major league reps with the season in the toilet.— s- "Martinez has a higher chance of playing in 2013 for the Phillies, so they'll use him instead of the veteran Fontenot." Yes Matt and you neglect to mention that Marty's ML average this year is .131 and last year was .dogcrap so with sparkling numbers like this he will be scarfed up by a contender looking for a bat. No doubt about it.— Steve Knepp
- Left handed hitters on the team: Utley, Howard, Pierre, Nix, Schneider, Brown and Shierholtz. That's almost half the positions players. There are 6 RH and 2 SH in a league dominated by RH pitching. Martinez brings more to the table than Fontenot, is younger and cheaper. Period.— EL Zorro
- Now's the time to get a better look at Martinez. I don't have a problem with that. It's not like this is huge difference maker in a lost season. Martinez has only played in 104 major league games -- less than 65% of a season. Far too little to really judge him. Go back and look at the first 100 games of Wilson Valdez and tell me if he was setting the world on fire. I'd need to check but I believe he was hitting around .200. One thing Martinez offers is he can play a lot of positions. This is the perfect scenario (going nowhere this year) to see players like him. There's already a good book on Fontenot. For those who say the Phillies never give guys a shot, this is when you do it.— s
- Martinez over Fontenot? That's a head scratcher.— pizzzmoe
- Sheirholtz, Lindbloom, Rosin... shades of Herm Whiemeyer, Murray Dickson, Marv Blaylock,and Saul Rogevin! (Wow, am I that old?).— tomficara
- Sad... very sad— jmb53
- Phillies will get hammered tonight....watch and see, ill be at work when the onslaught will take place! Dinkleberry and down town strike out Brown will combine for 4 Ks. And that is a sure bet!! Throw Howard in there and we can enjoy a 6pk of Ks. I still love my Phillies though, just preparing for the worse, and hoping for the best!— huntnmike3666
- Pedge gave another reason. Martinez can play CF. Also, with the season almost over in terms of making the playoffs, this move could mean the team wants to rest Utley and Rollins a little bit. Since the paternity leave, I don't think Rollins has taken a day off. Some of you knuckleheads should think a little bit before making silly comments.— EL Zorro
- The Phillies can't admit when they are wrong on these rule 5 picks. First Herndon and now Michael Martinez. These guys are not major league players. Bring Fontenot back. He's at least earned his right to be on the squad. Martinez is terrible.— comin4ya23
- Did you guys just read only the headline? Not only Frandsen made Fontenot expendable but the acquisition of the LH outfielder from San Fran and Dom Brown being called up as well. The team has too many LH hitters. Like the article mentioned, Martinez can play SS. Fontenot is bad fielder, period. Fontenot's BA of .289 looks good only because he hit over .400 in May. He has only one hit in his last 17 PA and has been very shaky defensively also. You need any more reasons why was let go?— EL Zorro
- I don't know why they think Martinez is a better fielder than anyone. He's horrible! Add that to the fact that he can't even hit at the Mendoza Line level, and the decision to call him up is stupifying.
— SteveS11 - Once again, all you "posters" think you know everthing. Fonteno can't play any other position but 2nd. He played some 3B, but made error after error. Martinez, a bad hitter, isn't going to play much. However, he can play all three infield spots plus the outfield. Another younger player who will be watched closely for the last two months. Kevin Frandsen IS a 3B. He can hit as well as Fonteno, but he can field 3B much better than Fonteno and Martinez. If/when Polanco comes off the DL, Fonteno was gonzo anyway. Frandsen is here to stay for the duration to see what he can do again at the MLB level. Remember, this is NOT about 2012 any longer. The is about 2013 and beyond. Polanco is gonzo next year as well, so a guy like Frandsen has to show what he can/can't do. Also, one last thing to remember (if anyone remembers the 2006 season), Gillick waived the white flag, started cleaning house, and whaddaknow...the team made a run down the stretch. I won't be surprised after the message was sent by RAJ/Monty, some guys may actually realize that effort and intensity CAN be a real motivating factor. Be professional guys, show us what Cliff Lee did yesterday.— drhoffman
- Fontenot was sent the way of others like him before him, performers like Podsednik and Wilson Valdez, guys who thought they were doing the job only to find out that they were simply in the way of players of a more favored status. Wait until the superstar David Herndon is fully healed; his job is guaranteed and a spot will be cleared for him the moment he announces himself ready.
On this team, no matter the result, nothing changes. As long as Amaro's and Manuel are on the job, accountability and performance-based rewards are a rumor.
And here we are, now in August, a day after a semi-purge and a "new direction", and Manuel, Rollins, Gross, Dubee and now Michael Martinez still wear red pinstripes.
Just amazing that Montgomery is going to risk all that he has to accommodate his arrogant GM.— advantasux - Fontenot didn't stay because he can't make routine plays at third. No manager at that level is going to play you if you can't catch the ball.— drbob1
- as all who were reading two days back, I called it that this would happen. At all times, Amaro's loyalties to his Rule 5 guys superseded everything else. No matter how poorly Martinez or Herndon, the worst that can happen to them is that they will be sent down until Amaro can find just the right time and situation to bring them back.
And Bumbles the Manager will do his part and make sure his boy gets right in there for some action.
Martinez' job on this team is as secure as Halladay's and Lee's, maybe even more.
Just one more example of what a joke Amaro is, and how stupid Manuel is. For all the home boys rushing to explain and defend Amaro's "great day" yesterday, please explain to the rest of us the phenomenon that is Michael Martinez. Can't wait!— advantasux - meant to write, "no matter how poorly Martinez and David Herndon perform..." — advantasux
- Yeah Herndon had a 1.56 era after the break last year, certainly no room in the pen for that — DogBiscuitthedope
- Martinez can also play Center Field. Adds some speed and is younger.— pedge
- always take defense over offense when you have solid starting pitching...in a lost season, does it make any sense to keep fontenont around? no, didnt think so. this was the right move.— TheLon
- One of the only guys who hits gets sent down. Makes sense.— Boru
- A lot of good comments, but not only can't he hit..... HE CAN'T BUNT— Dr. D.
- Mark1- Your rite about having guys behind you that can catch and make outs.As a pitcher and catcher myself, its frustrating seeing the same ole guys make errors on routine plays. It throws you off a little cause now you try harder to get the next guy out and when you throw harder, the ball moves up, and smack, rite out of the ball park. And from there on in,it just becomes a big mess the rest of the game.— huntnmike3666
- Martinez and Schneider just keep coming back, like stray cats when you leave the porch light on.
@BobSG: Yeah, man, brilliant. Does the SG stand for smoking grass?— dasher - Can't have too SF Giants cast-offs on the team at one time I guess.— DrumsAndBeer
- Bringing back Martinez and Schneider will make everyone forget our hitting problems! Can we please get Gillick back here quick before Rube the Boob has this team set up as a consistant celler dweller?— cooperhawk
- Martinez and Bruntlet, they can play every position (none of them well) and bat .160.— Sidewinder7
- Infield defense has sufferred this season and cost us many games. This makes it pretty clear that we will NEVER see Ty Wigginton at 2nd or 3rd base ever again. As a pitcher I can tell you, we'd rather have guys behind us who can catch the ball, rather than hit for higher average. At least we know we have a shot every game if we pitch well, they'll make the outs for us. If you pitch well, and your infield stinks, you have NO shot. Not that I would want a whole infield of Mendozas.....you still gotta hit some. And it is also about the money for threshold tax purposes and also freeing up a roster space. No telling what Rube has up his sleeve for the rest of the season or offseason.
Still stunned that we gave Qualls away for NOTHING and the Pirates gave up NcGehee for him. I know McGehee is nowhere near as good now as he was, but it would've seemed we needed a positional body like that, too. Of course there are three reasons why it didn't happen for us...1. the timing of the transaction. If it were us getting rid of Qualls yesterday, that deal might have been available to us also. Apparently a few weeks ago it wasn't. 2. Teams often trade with the other league just to get that player out of the league, so they don't help any of their NL (for instance) competitors to improve and come back and bite them come playoff time. 3. There may be an issue with the player....malcontent in the clubhouse, drinking problem, etc....maybe the Phils didn't want those issues in their clubhouse.— Mark1npt - I'm still waiting to see Ty Wigginton play 2nd base for the first time. Did I miss it? Now that would be funny, if nothing else. Oh, and I'm pretty sure you don't need to be a pitcher understand that having people on your team who can catch the ball is better than having people who can't. A half-witted five year old could figure that out. — jermigio
- Martinez is this Phillies version of Bobby Wine,all field no hit.— youwish
- Bobby Wine was 10x the fielder that Martinez is. No comparison in that aspect - none. You are correct about the offense. Wine was as bad as Martinez is now. — Bob1
- I dont understand this move, kinda dumb to me.— huntnmike3666
- Say it isn't so.... WHY this is a really stupid move! Nice job Rube and company. Bring up a kids who couldn't hit his way out of a wet paper bag with a whole in it!— srcdaddy1216
- BobSG, I bet you win your fantasy league every year. Brilliant ideas, especially since Polanco is a free agent next year and on the DL right now. You sound like the kind of guy who would trade Melky Cabrera for Eric Kratz based on 5 games.— HardPretzels
- It's about the money, guys. This article should have noted that Martinez makes $487,000 and is not arbitration eligible until 2014. Fontenot made his ML debut in 2005, made $1 million last year and is arbitration-eligible now -- and will be again in 2013. Thus, he had no shot at making the club in 2013. Martinez will absolutely be with the Phillies next year, either at AAA or in Philly. This move probably bought Ruben a little more under-the-cap breathing room this year. Plus, Fontenot was not returning next year.— eman
- Are Cholly and Martinez having an affair or something? There definitely seems to be some sort of love connection...— Bobby G
- Why are Schneider and Wigginton still on the team? Why wasn't Blanton moved for anything possible, and Cloyd brought up?— wo_fat
- Great idea Bob - sell the 2 guys who are basically impossible to sell. nice work— pdog154
- why do this...what does Martinez bring to the table? A true player does not need a day off so no need to say you need a back up for Jimmy. I really don't know what Ruben was doing with this move. Plus did anyone see yesterday how Chad Qualis was traded to Pittsburgh for a decent 3rd baseman when we traded him for what 10 dollars?— ndillon
- Casey McGehee plays first base and is hitting a whopping .223 or something and has an on-base % of below .300. He has played a few games at 3rd but not many. Big deal. — scootch
- Martinez and Dom Brown = 2 of a kind that beats a full house! Ughh Might as well start Wiggington too and have a real circus out there! Double Ughh...— Al n SD
- I would move Utley to 1B; bring up a 2B man from Lehigh Valley; let Martinez play SS; move Rollins to 3B; sell Howard and Polanco; move Ruiz to Left; let Kratz Catch; keep Mayberry in Center and Brown in Right.— BobSG
- Caring about this move ... funny or sad? I can't decide.— s
- Wonder if the Schierholz jersey will be available in the stadium store like Pence's was last year? What a difference a year makes.— bobcitydoc
Comment removed.- Fontenot was hitting almost .300. Another great move Rube. You and are the only person in the MLB that places any value in Mini-Mart.— Snake Pliskin
- When Cliff Lee, Roy Halladay and Cole Hamels all have higher averages than you, do you think maybe you don't belong in the majors? Or a career average of .187? Apparently, that's enough to get you a start in CF... — Hoc-a-mania
- Martinez cant hit his weight for batting average...Big mistake. You get what you pay for...except for pitching...oh what 1st base, ss....GET HITTERS!!!— phillyfan19335
- Like the article said, Mini-Mart is up just to provide back-up at SS for J-Roll. Fontenot is a much better hitter, but it looks like Frandsen can field at third, plus he's a righty and is hitting well. Mini Mart is definitely not an answer to our hitting woes. Where is "Exxon" Valdez when you need him? — SEEK313
- Maybe they can trade Fontenot for 2012, because 2012 is a lost cause. However, Martinez in 2013?? He is the WORST player in the MLB. There must be someone, anyone, who is a better utility player on planet Earth.— wobblie
- Stunning how far this team has fallen.— PhightinPhil
- not this guy again. i thought yesterday was about moving on and moving forward.— Snake Pliskin
- Ughh, Chollies man crash is back on the squad. Get rid of someone who can hit better for a scrub, real smooth Chollies!— Datdude36
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The Phillies Zone is the place for up-to-the-minute Phillies coverage from the Inquirer.
Matt Gelb
Inquirer Staff Writer
Bob Brookover
Inquirer Baseball Columnist
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