The Mets said good-bye this week to former All-Star second baseman Luis Castillo. It was a surprise to many because the Mets are having financial problems but decided to eat Castillo’s $6 million dollar contract despite not having an obvious replacement at the position.
That brings us the Phillies. You would have to think that the Phils front office who are wondering what to do with their own All-Star second baseman Chase Utley still sidelined with the tendinitis in his knee, might consider Castillo as part of temporary solution.
They wouldn’t tip their hand. When asked about the team’s interest in Castillo by Philly.com’s Matt Gelb, assistant general manager Scott Proefrock said, “That remains to be seen.”
I’ve heard baseball talking about Castillo not being happy in New York. Mets fans have never forgiven him for dropping a pop up which would have been the last out in a game against the Yankees. The Mets wound up losing that game. You know Mets fans want to beat the Yankees more than any team in the Major Leagues because they are treated like a red-headed stepchild by baseball fans in the New York area because of the Yankees.
I don’t think the Phils are going to touch him. They’ve been quality play from a number of guys, who have been playing second base 
for them this spring.
At the present time, there’s a highly contested battle going on for the starts and at bats that Utley is going to miss. You’ve got five guys competing against each other for playing time. We all know Wilson Valdez, who field the position but has a questionable bat. There’s also Delwyn Young, Josh Barfield, Pete Orr and Michael Martinez.
I like Martinez who is a tremendous athlete and has the ability to get on base and steal some bases. I think he would be invaluable because he can play just about any where. He could pinch hit and come in as a base runner, when needed.
Who do you think they should go with?
I think Martinez will be groomed for SS to take over for Rollins next season,
I would send him down to AAA and play SS every day to hone his skills.
The Phils will keep Valdez (who can play 2B/SS/3B) and Delmon Young
who can play 2B/3B and the OF on their roster..
Barfield and Orr will go back down at AAA and get some more seasoning and appear to have bright futures ahead of them..
I can envision in 2-3 Years time, a Phils Infield of Barfield at 3B, Martiniez at SS and Orr at 2B..
@Paulman:
Sending Martinez to AAA is a gamble because we got him via Rule 5 draft
The Phillies got Martinez from the Nationals in the Rule 5 draft. If they don’t keep him on the big clubs roster, then they have to offer him back to the Nats. Doesn’t mean the Nats will take him, but they are a young team that needs all the prospects they can get, so they might accept him back or maybe work something out with Philly.
Orr is 31. He doesn’t have a bright future ahead of him. He is nothing more than a desperation backup.
Take another look, since they ranked us # 1 and # 2 I guess it was only fitting to place the GQ statement again on a philly post as well. Do they not get us? Though in fairness Philly in general has become an even more mean town than in years past. I don’t agree with the article, but you do have ti keep your head up when walking about town or you my get got.
Here again is what those pretty people over at GQ had to say about us Bird and Phil fans (Like we are not the same people), ahhh:
2 and 1. Philadelphia Eagles and Philadelphia Phillies
The Meanest Fans in America
Over the years, Philadelphia fans have booed Santa Claus, their own star players, and most absurdly, the recipient of America’s very first hand transplant, whose crime was dribbling in a ceremonial first pitch—thrown with his freshly transplanted hand. Boooo!
Admittedly, there are some things fans have cheered. Like Michael Irvin’s career-ending neck injury and a fan being tased on the outfield grass. Things reached their nadir last season, when Citizens Bank Park played host to arguably the most heinous incident in the history of sports: A drunken fan intentionally vomited on an 11-year-old girl.
The truth is this: All told, Philadelphia stadiums house the most monstrous collection of humanity outside of the federal penal system. “Some of these people would boo the crack in the Liberty Bell,” baseball legend Pete Rose once said. More likely, these savages would have thrown the battery that cracked it.
Good points Fool and Sports Bum aabout Martinez about Rule #5
and my errors on Orr, I thought he was about 26-27… Well hopefuilly the Phils are keeping an eye on the futrure for they have 4-5 everyday players in their lineup that are getting old with their best playing days behind them so they need to start think about replacements sooner than many people think or will admit..