Pop quiz , hotshot. You have one spot on the bench for either Mike Fontenot or Matt Murton. What do you do? What do you do?

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/photo?slug=b1408874022...

I posted this in the previous thread, but it is relevant here.

Fontenot staying, Murton getting sent down:

That leaves the last spot for Mike Fontenot as the Cubs decided to go with an extra infielder over an extra outfielder. The Cubs will bring five outfielders to Chicago, including two reserves in Daryle Ward and Reed Johnson.

It was a tough decision for Jim Hendry and Lou Piniella, since both Fontenot (who hit .255 this spring) and Murton (who hit .345) made contributions to last year's division-winning team.

Murton will be sent to Triple-A Iowa or traded.

His bat is very valuable. To me, Fonty is a punch and judy hitter, that gets hot for little spats. But, his bat disappeared from mid-July on. So - why did the team not play him in CF at all in the minors?

So who Platoons with Kfuk?

Who is the first right handed hitter off the bench?

Eric Patterson seems a lot better offensively than Fontenot. He could supersub, flip-flop at 2B or OF. With Theriot, Cedeno & DeRosa all available to fill SS duty at times, why not get an extra little lefthanded offensive production? Especially since DeRosa mashes lefties, but is mediocre against righties.

I really don't get keeping "FontaYyyes" up and sending Murton down. I understand the reasoning in having more middle infield depth than OF but we seem to be plenty deep up the middle with Theriot, Cedeno, and De Rosa. Not to mention we could always plug in Soriano at 2B if absolutely need be on a certain day due to injury or late inning substitutions.

I also don't get this. We have four middle infielders now on the roster (DeRosa, Theriot, Cedeno and Fontenot) and only four real outfielders (I don't think of Ward as anything other than a PH/1B). Why exactly is Fontenot needed? Can't we just bring him up if there's an injury? You're not going to need more than 3 middle infielders in a game. This idea of having another lefty bench bat makes no sense when that lefty bench bat can't hit.

Other than getting Murton full playing time (which you only do for a future starter, which Murt is not), I don't see the point in this. Hendry's forcing himself to either deal Murton for next to nothing (selling low like always) or else leave him pissed off in the minors. Stupid move.

I don't like either option, honestly. Fontenot because he's a lefty? Murton because he's pleasantly mediocre? Who knows.

i'm gonna say something outlandish. The only thing keeping Murton from being a superstar is lack of the juice. ah the world we live in.

I don't know what's so hard to understand about all this. I predicted this yesterday knowing Lou would not go into the season with only 1 LH bat on the bench.

Also, right, wrong, or indifferent: Fukudome, Pie, and Theriot are going to be in the starting lineup 5 to 6 games out of seven. Where exactly was Murton going to play besides RH PH? He has options left, Cedeno doesn't, and they WOULD lose Cedeno for nothing if put on waivers. Iowa gives Hendry a chance to get something for Murton whereas waiving Cedeno gets nothing.

Nobody is married to Pie, Fukudome, DeRosa, Theriot being in the starting lineup all season but will obviously get a long look through mid-May. If Murton is still in AAA at that time, they can always recall him. Obviously, there's still deals out there to be made including Cedeno, Murton, Fontenot, et al.

With Reed Johnson, I couldn't see anything for Murton to do except PH.

Who's the emergency catcher, DeRosa?

Timmer,

Koyie Hill or Closser in Iowa...about 2 hours away in a Gulfstream IV chartered for $3-4,000/hour.

Aaron, I agree. If Fukudome tanks through May, I would look for DeRosa and Johnson to be playing a lot more RF. Or as I said, recall Murton if still in Iowa.