DEBATE: Should Mets play Luis Castillo, or sit him?
The Mets yesterday activated Luis Castillo. What should they do with him?
JIM: SIT HIM!
When we last saw Luis Castillo, the Mets were just two weeks removed from the Willie Randolph era, still trying to get used to Jerry Manuel as manager. Since they placed him on the disabled list with persistent knee issues, they've gone on a tear, winning 31 of 47 games.
So why mess with success?
Understandably, this is a tricky spot. The Mets committed bigtime money to the guy, and now they understandably are wondering if they're better off without him and his gimpy knees on the field. Over the past week the Mets have changed their plan daily, it seems, trying to find the right way to handle a somewhat delicate situation for everyone involved.
To me, it comes down to this: until second base becomes an issue for the Mets, until Damion Easley and Argenis Reyes are hurting the team more than they're helping, until then there is no legitimate reason to play Castillo. Because if Castillo plays and struggles, they have to ask themselves these questions all over again, and the second base situation becomes an even bigger distraction.
Hey, who knows? Maybe the extended rest will be good for his knees.
ANTHONY: PLAY HIM!
See, Jim, the Mets won last night 9-1 with Castillo in the lineup. So much for concerns he's going to wreck the team's chemistry.
I agree with Jerry Manuel's latest plan. (Manuel has been a big enough flip-flopper on Castillo that he should be in Denver right now with the Democrats, but it's obvious he's playing Castillo under pressure from the front office. When you have 'interim' in front of your title, you kind of have to go along.)
Anyway, Manuel said he's going to give Castillo a chance to prove himself. I say a week is about right. If after a week Castillo still looks like a shell of the player he was in his youth, then you can go back to Reyes and Easley and stick Castillo on the bench for the duration.
The bigger question is what to do with him the next three years. Three years! Oy.
Who do you agree with it? What do you think the Mets should do?
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Comments (4)
Thought I'd help get the party started ...
(reprinted from On The Mets Beat, 8-23-08)
IN DEFENSE OF CASTILLO
Hold up. Don't start looking at me like this is the O.J. trial or something. After all, we are talking about a three-time All-Star with three Gold Gloves and a World Series ring.
He's also a career .293 hitter with a lifetime .368 on-base percentage. Luis Castillo can play baseball. And he's only 32 years old -- actually he'll be 33 in three weeks.
Check out his numbers before Castillo went on the DL. OK, his .261 batting average was a little light. But the guy was still getting on base (.365), managed to score 42 runs in 68 games and also had 13 stolen bases on gimpy, surgically-repaired knees.casty.jpg
The key here, obviously, is health. If Castillo can move better than he did before the DL stint, Argenis Reyes and Damion Easley aren't in the same universe defensively. Again, if healthy, or at least mobile, Castillo, a switch-hitter, is an asset as the starting second baseman as well as batting behind Jose Reyes.
Easley, who has been bothered by leg problems, needs the rest and A. Reyes could be exposed down the stretch. Those two have done a great job in tandem at second base, but a healthy Castillo is better than both.
And regardless of Jerry Manuel's flip-flop on Castillo's playing time, there's evidence of why it might be good to have him in the lineup over the next five weeks -- and beyond. You can't blame last season's collapse on Castillo. He batted .316 (31-for-98) in September with a .404 on-base percentage.
Maybe Omar Minaya, by virtue of Castillo's $25-million contract, did strong-arm Manuel to force him into the starting lineup. All I'm saying is that it could work to the Mets' benefit. Now that Easley slides back into a reserve role, it makes their bench deeper. And if A. Reyes is demoted later today, he can come right back when rosters expand on Sept. 1.
I think this may be the single worst signing (not trade) in the Minaya era thus far. I think for this year, because of the soon-to-be expanded roster, you can simply play the hot hand - let Castillo get his week's training wheels, let A. Reyes and Easley spell him once or twice a week, and see what happens.
This year is one question, but again, three more freaking years. If i were the Mets, i'd take on a good chunk of his salary and try and send him elsewhere - the team has deep pockets and a deep depth chart at 2nd base (let's not forget that current phenom Daniel Murphy was beginning to play 2b in Bingo before being called up), so admit defeat in the off-season and trade Luis.
THE METS HAVE SO MUCH MONEY !!!!! just trade Castillo or Buy out his contract. He reminds me of Roberto Alomar .... ahha those were the days .....
Perhaps Castillo can pitch a few innings on his off days from second base and help out the bullpen. I am watching them blow another game right now ... and I am about to start watching reruns of The Hills on MTV instead of the Mets games if this continues. Emma (my dog) is done with the Mets bullpen too now!