I began this series by explaining what I was trying to accomplish and what methodology I would be using to accomplish it.  You can read previous posts from this series by clicking on the links below:

• What Can You Get For $140 Million?
• What Can You Get For $140 Million?: First Base

Today, I want to look at second basemen.  Even as I get started, I’m pretty sure I know what I’m going to find.  Second base was a really weak position for the Cubs in 2009.  In fact, as of this writing, it still is. 

Remember, my hypotheses is that with the third highest payroll in all of baseball, the Cubs should have one of the top players at every position.  My feeling going in is that they failed at second base.

To begin with, let’s meet the players.  here are the second basemen we’ll be focusing on:

• Robinson Cano (Yankees)
• Luis Castillo (Mets)
• Mike Fontenot (Cubs)
• Placido Polanco (Tigers)
• Chase Utley (Phillies)
• Dustin Pedroia (Red Sox)

Next, let’s see how these six second basemen rank based on 2009 salaries:

1. Chase Utley ($11 million)
2. Robinson Cano ($6 million)
3. Luis Castillo ($6 million)
4. Placido Polanco ($4.6 million)
5. Dustin Pedroia ($1 million)
6. Mike Fontenot ($430,000)

Regardless of whatever else we find out, we can see from the salaries that the Cubs are not overspending at second base.  Are they being smart with their money or just foolishly cheap?  Let’s see what we can find.

Let’s take a look at how each second basemen did based on 2008 WAR:

1. Chase Utley (WAR 8.1)
2. Dustin Pedroia (WAR 6.7)
3. Mike Fontenot (WAR 3.1)
4. Placido Polanco (WAR 3.0)
5. Luis Castillo (WAR 0.6)
6. Robinsion Cano (WAR 0.5)

As you’d expect, Chase Utley led the field.  He had a big 2008 and helped lead the Phillies to a World Series victory over Tampa Bay.

After winning the AL Rookie of the Year Award in 2007, Pedroia came back strong in 2008.  He led the AL in hits (213), was second in the league in batting average, and 11th in OBP.  Seeing Pedroia near the top of the 2008 WAR rankings is not a surprise.

What is a bit of a surprise is seeing Fontenot third on the list.  He had a terrific 2008 and it gave the Cubs hope that 2009 would bring more of the same.

By the way, the reason I like to look at 2008 stats is because it gives me a feel for what a player was doing the year prior to the year I am really interested in.  With that in mind, let’s look at 2008 OPS+ numbers:

1. Chase Utley (OPS+135)
2. Mike Fontenot (OPS+ 130)
3. Dustin Perdoia (OPS+ 122)
4. Placido Polanco (OPS+ 101)
5. Robinson Cano (OPS+ 86)
6. Luis Castillo (OPS+ 77)

Wow, look at our boy Fontenot.  He makes a very impressive showing in OPS+ for 2008.  Is it any wonder the Cubs thought they had found their second baseman?

But here’s the thing.  Fontenot was not playing full-time in 2008.  He was a bench guy.  Mark DeRosa was the Cubs second baseman in 2008.  Fontenot saw a lot of action, but generally speaking, he wasn’t a starter.  Did the Cubs have just cause to think that he would fare as well if he became the team’s starting second baseman in 2009?  In my opinion, no, they didn’t have sufficient reason to think Fontenot would be a successful starting second baseman.

Fontenot had a decent, but not overwhelming minor league career.  In his time with the big club, he didn’t really show the ability to hit consistently until 2008.  The Cubs apparently thought 2008 was his break out year.  However, many fans felt 2008 was a fluke, not something Fontenot could sustain.  Who was right?  Let’s see.

Here are the 2009 WAR rankings for our second basemen:

1. Chase Utley (WAR 7.6)
2. Dustin Pedroia (WAR 5.2)
3. Robinson Cano (WAR 4.4)
4. Placido Polanco (WAR 3.1)
5. Luis Castillo (WAR 1.6)
6. Mike Fontenot (WAR 0.4)

Utley and Pedroia again led the group.  Fontenot did not fare well at all.  How did they look based on 2009 OPS+?

1. Chase Utley (OPS+ 136)
2. Robinson Cano (OPS+ 129)
3. Dustin Pedroia (OPS+ 110)
4. Luis Castillo (OPS+ 98)
5. Placido Polanco (OPS+ 88)
6. Mike Fontenot (OPS+ 72)

Ouch, Fontenot was really bad in 2009.  Actually, I think we all saw how bad he was in 2009.  The stats just sort of drive the point home about how bad he really was.

To answer my previous question, the fans were right.  The Cubs had no reason to believe that Mike Fontenot was a viable second baseman.  In the very least, they had no reason to believe he was a viasble second baseman on the third highest spending team in all of baseball.  Starting Mike Fontenot at second base in 2009 was nothing more than wishful thinking by the Cubs. 

Here’s how I rank the six second basemen we’ve been looking at:

1. Chase Utley (Phillies)
2. Dustin Pedroia (Red Sox)
3. Robinson Cano (Yankees)
4. Placido Polanco (Tigers)
5. Luis Castillo (Mets)
6. Mike Fontenot (Cubs)

As I stated previously, with the third highest payroll in the major leagues, it would be expected that the Cubs should have one of the top players at each position.  If not top three, then top five.  Even top 10.  Unfortunately, Fontenot’s 2009 performance at second base doesn’t even put him in the top 10 among MLB second basemen.  It’s a travesty that the Cubs would spend the kind of money they spent and trot out a second baseman the caliber of Mike Fontenot.

Perhaps the even bigger travesty is what the Cubs are preparing to do in 2010.  At the moment, it appears Fontenot will be competing for the second base job with Jeff Baker.  Baker is another bench jockey who had a fairly impressive season in 2009 (as a back-up) and is on the verge of becoming the starting second baseman for a big money ball club. 

Do the Cubs honestly believe that they can trot anyone out to second base and it will all work out?  Baker doesn’t have any more in his background to make the team feel he will be a success at second base than Fontenot had at this time last year.  And yet, Jim Hendry and the Cubs’ brain trust are willing to give the wheel of fortune another spin in 2010.  It’s a big risk.  One that the third biggest spending team in baseball should not have to take.

Bottom Line:  The Cubs failed miserably at second base in 2009.  This wasn’t just a case of a good second baseman having a down year.  The Cubs handed the second base job to an unproven player and they set him and the team up to fail.  They had no reason to believe that Mike Fontenot could be a succeesful starter at second.  Even so, they threw him out there and prayed that it would work.  It didn’t.

A team with a $140 million payroll should not have to take these risks.  The fact that the Cubs took the gamble in 2009 and appear to be prepared to take it again in 2010 is a reflection on the front office.  If Jim Hendry and crew can’t properly spend $140 million, then owner Tom Ricketts should find someone who can.