Fontenot, 32, was actually a Rays draft picks way back in 1999, although he did not sign. Fontenot spent 2012 with the Phillies, posting a .289/.343/.340 line (86 OPS+) in 47 games and 105 plate appearances before he was designated for assignment in August. Fontenot actually appeared in the same amount of games in 2012 as a player who fits a similar physical profile to him, Will Rhymes. Fontenot is 5’8″, 165 while Rhymes is 5’9″, 155. That’s where the parallels end. For his career, Fontenot has a .265/.332/.401 line (92 OPS+) in 1586 plate appearances. Fontenot has surprising power for his size, slamming 18 home runs for the Cubs between 2008 and 2009. His power comes with a few too many strikeouts while his plate discipline is just average. On the basepaths, Fontenot has solid speed that he shows through good baserunning, taking an extra base 41% of the time for his career, a tick above league average, but he has never been a real stolen base threat, stealing just 17 of 27 bases in his career. It would be interesting to see if the Rays could work with him on that since stealing bases is such a crucial part of their offense. Defensively, Fontenot has the versatility the Rays like, being a primary second baseman with 83 games at third base and 50 at shortstop as well, and he also has played left field a couple times in the minor leagues. Fontenot is a good second baseman, posting a 4.7 career UZR/150 primarily thanks to great range, but he’s not nearly as good at third base or shortstop in smaller samples (-6.7  and -7.0 UZR/150′s respectively) with a lack of arm strength being an issue. Overall, Fontenot is a solid hitter, definitely giving him a leg up compared to several of the utility types we’ve seen on the Rays over the years, and his ability to play a good second base and at least fake shortstop and third base is certainly an asset for him.

In Fontenot, the Rays could conceivably have found a player who could receive starts for them at second base. Fontenot, a left-handed hitter, has a career .273/.339/.412 line versus right-handed pitching and the Rays could view use him second base platoon with the right-hand hitting Ryan Roberts or even have have Fontenot play a part in replacing Roberts if Roberts is non-tendered (more on that later today). Fontenot floundered in his only year as anything near a starter back in 2008, posting a 73 OPS+ in 419 plate appearances, but he has a 90 OPS+ in 618 plate appearances since then and if all else fails he could be a halfway-decent option. It does seem unlikely that the Rays will count on Fontenot for anything at this point, but considering his ability to hit for some power he does have some upside and could force his way into big league playing time. Fontenot is the type of utility player the Rays love to sign but his power gives them the potential for more of a return.

Thompson, who will turn 34 in April, had to be appreciative when the Rays gave him an opportunity in the big leagues for the first time since 2004 and decided to re-sign exactly a month after declining an assignment to Triple-A and electing free agency. Thompson went just 2 for 22 in 23 games for the Rays but did steal 6 of 8 bases including two in his first career MLB start, when he also went 1 for 3 with a walk and an RBI in an inspiring day at the Trop. Thompson posted a .310/.376/.419 line with 17 doubles, 7 triples, 2 homers, 30 RBI, 29 of 36 stolen bases, and 53 strikeouts against 29 walks in 93 Triple-A games and 284 plate appearances between the Phillies and Rays organization. Thompson’s complete lack of power limits what he can do, but he has plus speed and can play all three outfield positions capably so he could be back in the big leagues as a pinch-runner and 4th outfielder at some point and add to his already remarkable story.

“There’s work to be done there,” Selig said before World Series Game 3, “and he ought to try to be helpful and constructive in that process. That’s all I’ll say.”

But it’s clear that everyone involved has to be frustrated at this point after Foster completely brought stadium talks to a halt by refusing to compromise on the provision in the Tropicana Field that prevents the Rays from looking at possible stadium sites outside of Pinellas County. We can’t side with the Rays on every issue in this whole stadium saga, but to completely stop negotiations like Foster did will just make the stadium question drone on and on.

Outfielder Rich Thompson has denied his assignment to Triple-A and become a free agent. Thompson appeared in 23 games for the Rays this season primarily as a pinch-runner, going just 2 for 25 although he did steal 6 bases in 8 tries. It was his first time in the big leagues since 2004. Thompson did have a nice season between Triple-A in the Phillies and Rays organization, posting a .310/.376/.419 line with 29 stolen bases. Thompson has a chance to stick with another team, especially one in the National League, as a pinch-runner and 4th outfielder and good luck to him finding an opening in that type of role.

Topkin also noted that the Rays were, in a surprising note, baseball’s top spenders on the international free agent market, spending 3.8 million dollars, including over 3 million dollars on lefty Jose Castillo, right-hander Jose Mujica, and catcher David Rodriguez. The Rays so much that they’ll incur a $750,000 penalty and will have their budget for IFA’s be decreased for 2013. The Rays must have thought players like Castillo, Mujica, and Rodriguez were too good to pass up. I discussed Castillo here and Mujica and Rodriguez here, but the gist is that Castillo and Mujica are a pair of intriguing pitching prospects that stand out especially for impressive changeups, a pitch we know the Rays emphasize, while Rodriguez has nice potential both offensively and defensively at the catcher position.

The Rays actually made a move themselves on Saturday, outrighting Rich Thompson and RHP Wilking Rodriguez down to Triple-A Durham. As Marc Topkin talked about on Twitter, the Rays are doing these moves now because they need to take Brandon Guyer and Robinson Chirinos off the 60-day DL. Thompson appeared in 25 games for the Rays this season but is really just a spare part backup outfielder, while Rodriguez, 22, has electric stuff but dealt with injury problems in 2012 and was only at High-A even when he was healthy. He is hypothetically exposed to the Rule 5 Draft now, but it seems unlikely that he will be selected given his injury problems and lack of any experience above A-ball. The Rays are excited to welcome Guyer and Chirinos back after season-ending injuries, shoulder surgery for Guyer and a concussion for Chirinos, and both have the talent to contribute to the Rays’ big league effort in 2013.

Topkin also wrote about how the Rays’ are considering adding a second hitting coach to pair with Derek Shelton to ease his workload and hopefully deliver the best possible offensive product on the field. Three MLB teams had two hitting coaches in 2012 and the Phillies will also have a two-coach situation in 2013. At this point, the Rays might as well try everything possible to generate some offense- although the most important thing is going to be to acquire some bats to bolster their lineup (more on that later today).

Speaking of the Phillies, they recently hired Steve Henderson to be their principal hitting coach. Henderson was the Rays’ hitting coach in 1998 and from 2008 to 2009. Topkin speculated that the hiring of Henderson may make the Phillies the favorite to sign B.J. Upton.