Second base is a hot topic among Mets fans this season as Luis Castillo played well enough that now the Mets can ship him out without it being a complete loss. The 2009 season was a great rebound for Castillo from a dreadful 2008. He came into camp in great shape and stayed relatively healthy for the whole season. Quite ironic if you ask me that the always hurt Luis Castillo stays healthy and everyone else in the organization gets hurt.
Personally, I think there are far more important issues to deal with than second base at this point. I do not want Omar to waste time getting too wrapped up trying to ship him out. Mainly because barring Brandon Phillips, I don't think there is any great replacement. Hudson is decent but how much of an upgrade would he be? He will certainly want at least Castillo money if not more. Plus, being 32 years old, he is no youngster. Mark DeRosa is a solid player, but will likely want several years and he is 35 years old.
Brandon Phillips is intriguing because he is a great defender and is more than solid at the plate. He is only 28 years old, has good power for the position and has cut his strikeout rate consistenly. Also, he is a pretty healthy guy. Could the Mets get him and take one of the high priced pitcher (Arroyo, Harang) in a deal that helps Cincy drop salary without having to give up a lot in talent? This could shore up the back of the rotation and second base. Hopefully, we would still have the prospects in case Halladay or Gonzalez became a possibility.
Comments