Well dip me in doody, the Phillies have reportedly released second baseman Luis Castillo after his arguably successful week-plus audition for temporary second base duties in place of the injured Chase Utley.

I disagree with the move to the extent that Castillo has shown a lingering propensity to work counts and get on base (managing a .385 OBP in an admittedly small sample of seven games).  However, the team must have deemed some combination of Wilson Valdez, Pete Orr, Delwyn Young, and Rule 5 guy Michael Martinez to be better bets going forward.

Also, we're not privy to the concerns of Charlie Manuel and the team's management.  Manuel sounded reticent about Castillo from the start, and the scouting reports on Castillo's defense remain poor.  However, simply by virtue of his ability to get on base at a solid clip, he's a better offensive option than Valdez.  Or maybe Castillo really is the jerky malcontent that so many people alleged him to be, a point I refuse to concede but which may have some merit.

It's Wilson Valdez's World now.