Wait, we signed who?

No, I haven't been wallowing in self pity over my first round loss in ThePhield or hiding under a rock the past three days. In fact, I've been in a place the locals call "Baseball Heaven". Though, unless you're thing is a car full of sloppy looking Latino chicks flashing you on the highway at midnight (yes, that happened), I don't exactly consider St. Louis heavenly. Why a city would plop a beautiful stadium in the Midwest equivalent of Camden is beyond me, but I digress...

So, Luis Castillo, huh? We're going to replace a top three second baseman with a castoff from our enemy who can't make it to his first game on time. More than a bit of a head-scratcher to me, but maybe that's why I build houses for a living instead of running baseball teams. There's pros and cons and at the end of the day it's a move that's worth trying, but that doesn't mean I agree with it.

First, the good... he's a three time All Star and Gold Glover who pokes singles like they're going out of style and has stolen a bunch of bases in his career and has put up respectable numbers as recently as 2009 and only signed a minor league deal worth a few pennies. He's definitely a small ball player which was one of my 2011 predictions.

That's all I got for the good.

The bad... well, I'm going to need bullet points for this one

• He's 35 years old. We're already the oldest team in the majors and he shifts the curve further in the wrong direction. He's already started to show that there's not much left in the tank...
• Remember all those reasons I said Lastings Milledge might be a good fit? Those are the same reasons why Luis Castillo is not. There's a difference between a 26 year old with an attitude problem and a 35 year old. Castillo is proof that a Leopard cannot change his spots and has had more than his share of 2nd chances. 
• Number 1 is retired in Philadelphia.
• He has zero pop. That was acceptable when he was a 62 SB threat. That's no going to happen at his age.
• His 2010 was dreadful. Wilson Valdez out-performed him in just about every category. His season ending "bruised" heel was the equivalent to putting an injured horse out of its misery.
• He was cut by the Mets. Seriously. If the welfare bound Mets are willing to swallow $6M and let him walk away in favor of three guys who aren't even a blip on anyone's radar, what value does he really have?
• His signing takes away opportunities from guys who have done everything right this spring. I know how meaningless ST is to most people, but Josh Barfield, Wilson Valdez, and Delwyn Young have had impressive springs. These three guys have more to lose than Castillo and are simply more hungry for a job.

Sure, this is the epitome of a tiny risk, medium reward move. If he pulls his diva routine or stinks it up, the Phillies can cut him and go back with the Valdez/Barfield/Young/Orr/Martinez Plan B. If he gets his act together, maybe he can stick it to the Mets once or twice and give us a solid OBP. But I'm doubtful we'll see any of the latter. It's not my favorite move ever, but it's certainly no Adam Eaton.