Jim Bowden of ESPN reported yesterday that veteran infielder Mike Fontenot is signing a minor league deal with the Philadelphia Phillies. Philadelphia has been seeking infield depth for weeks since it became apparent that they would start the regular season without regulars Ryan Howard and Chase Utley and reserve Michael Martinez.
Fontenot and fellow LSU Tiger Ryan Theriot were reportedly on the San Francisco Giants trade block this spring. Since these initial reports, Fontenot’s name was tied to the Phillies as a potential infield acquisition.
San Francisco wasn’t able to make a trade for either veteran infielder, so they ultimately decided to cut Fontenot.
Though he has been used as a starter before, Fontenot is not expected to displace rookie second baseman Freddy Galvis. Philadelphia has been impressed by Galvis and is not planning on demoting the converted shortstop.
Instead, Fontenot will likely play the role of reserve for the Phillies. The 31-year-old has manned second, short and third over the past several years and offers Philadelphia the defensive versatility it has sought.
Over his six seasons in the majors, Fontenot has maintained a line of .263/332/.406. Last season Fontenot appeared in 85 games for the Giants, hitting at a clip of .227/.304/.377 with 22 extra base hits over his 220 at-bats.
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