We’ve long been assuming that the Chicago Cubs would go with some kind of platoon at second base this year, using Mike Fontenot primarily against righties and Jeff Baker primarily against lefties. But when asked about his second basemen, manager Lou Piniella did not mention the possibility of using both.
Piniella was asked how he’ll decide who will be the starting second baseman between Mike Fontenot and Jeff Baker.
“We’ll let ’em compete,” Piniella said. “Baker last year did a real nice job and Fontenot had a really good first year. We’ll see how it shakes out this spring. I’m comfortable with either of them.” Muskat Ramblings.
Hmm. How about comfortable with both of them?
Both are relatively versatile off of the bench, so it would be understandable if Piniella preferred to go with a nominal starter rather than a strict platoon. In terms of production, however, the Cubs are more likely to see good numbers coming out of second base if the two are platooned.