Mets released 2B Luis Castillo. Now a free agent Castillo is available for the league minimum.

He's coming off an injury plagued year but in '09 he hit .302 with a .378 on-base percentage in 580 PA's. He'll come cheap and could be the best option for a true leadoff hitter.

He'll never be able to replace Darwin Barney.

he is 35..so probably closer to 38..take a pass on this hasbeen

_________________

I would rather have Frank Castillo

_________________
That's my purse! I don't know you!

He probably wasn't going to be much good with only one eye anyway.

_________________
Anybody here seen my old friend Bobby?
Can you tell me where he's gone?
I thought I saw him walkin' up to The Hill
With Matthew, Tulsi, and Don

Just what the Cubs need, another 2nd baseman. No thanks.

_________________
"He is a loathsome, offensive brute
--yet I can't look away."

no way on this guy. if you are going to struggle, struggle with a young player from your system and try to develop them. luis castillo doesn't make this a playoff team, it just keep young guys on the bench.

This is implies that they have more than 1 that is MLB capable. I don't see it.

_________________

i agree with frank, and if the cubs had guys they werent sure were big-league ready at 2nd, id roll with them over luis castillo. id rather find out if any of these guys can play.

If it was Castillo 5 years ago then sure. But now, no thanks. I would rather them just stick with DeWitt.

_________________
"He is a loathsome, offensive brute
--yet I can't look away."

he had a really big at bat back in the 2003 NLCS i remember.

Let's see.... he's waaaay past his prime, he sucks at defense, he's a perpetual injury risk these days, and the only thing he could really provide is a relatively-low stolen base total for being a juan pierre type punch-judy (i never use the "and" part) hitter.... sounds like Brian Roberts lite so you know that Jim Hendry would love to roll the dice on this!

_________________

The Cubs are interested in Castillo, a source told Enrique Rojas of ESPNdeportes.com.

Although Castillo refused to confirm this, a source told ESPNdeportes.com that the Chicago Cubs, Philadelphia Phillies and Florida Marlins are interested in the services of a player.

Philadelphia faces Opening Day without the star Chase Utley, who is deal with sore knees that prevented him from participating in exhibition games this spring. Florida would be interested in some support if rookie Matt Dominguez does not take to third base and Omar Infante is moved to the hot corner. Blake DeWitt, a .259 hitter in five seasons, is scheduled to be the regular second baseman in Chicago.

http://proxy.espn.go.com/blog/new-york/ ... ng-options

Why do all you people want to watch De Witt make 40 errors and hit >240 when you can take a chance for a guy that just may have something left in his tank. He will not cost shit and is better than the two other dopes you are planning on playing.

i am not sold on blake dewitt, but if i were going to play someone at 2nd all year i would give it to a young player who has signs of potential (not dewitt specifically) than sign a guy at the end of his rope. pick a guy with an eye to the future. if the team were poised to win, it would possibly be a different story.

+1

_________________

Do the Cubs have a second base prospect? Dewitt doesn't appear to be the answer, and is Barney really a prospect?

It's not like by signing Castillo your blocking an up and comer from the minors. And if the Phillies are interested in signing Castillo, then I feel a little better about the Cubs interest.

The Phillies officially signed Luis Castillo to a minor league deal, the team announced today.

Good move by the Phillies.

DJ LeMahieu is probably the best 2B prospect in the Cubs system but there are serious doubts that he can handle the position defensively.

The Phillies are just going after him as a fill-in for Utley until he is healthy. It's a smart move for them because they will only be using him for maybe a month.

_________________

even if dewitt ISNT the 2nd baseman of the future, he is young enough where he could still play a part on future cubs teams as a backup or as a starter. id rather have a young guy who could potentially still be with the team in a couple years get the playing time now in a transition year than an older guy who is going to likely be gone. giving dewitt a season of at bats now could benefit them down the road even if he doesnt start.

im not in love with blake dewitt or barney or any of these current guys, but unless you honestly think that adding an aging veteran 2nd baseman somehow benefits the team, i still ask, "why"? the phillies seem like a good fit, they are a team poised to win it all, and now they have a veteran guy who has been through pennant races before who may be able to help out if needed as a backup. he just isnt a guy who is going to propel the cubs to the next level.

We need at least 3 second basemen! Prefer 4! Hendry ball!

_________________
"That's what the internet is for. Slandering others anonymously." Banky
“Been that way since one monkey looked at the sun and told the other monkey ‘He said for you to give me your fuckin’ share.’”

so did juan encarnaceon..u want him 2?

_________________