Fontenot

I suppose it is understandable that the Cubs would unload Fontenot. He is 30 years old, basically a utility player who has reached his upward limit, and he is arbitration eligible. On the other hand, he makes $1 million, which is cheap these days and is a fairly useful spare part. So I have mixed feelings about this deal, especially as they seem to have got nothing in return. A speedy CF in A ball who cannot hit and has no power is just not the sort of player the Cubs are ever inclined to develop or play.

I must confess I would rather have seen Nady or especially the utterly useless and one-dimensional Lou favorite Jeff Baker hit the road. Maybe those moves are yet to come. It is a little hard to see much rhyme or reason in these moves other than shedding salary. If this is the case, this is just a bit of tinkering that may or may not make a lot of long-term sense. The general consensus is the Cubs are ridding themselves or attempting to rid themselves of players who do not fit into their long-term plans, which makes sense if somebody can figure out what those plans really are and whether they actually make any sense. Shedding salary is not actually a plan unless the idea is to save incremental amounts so you can afford a big move.