Phillies Release 2B Luis Castillo
by WholeCamels on Mar 30, 2011 1:20 PM EDT
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PrintWell 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.
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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.
That was my first thought. Perhaps he’s just completely unbearable as a personality and his production isn’t enough for anyone to put up with him.
was not expecting this..figured they would at least give him a month on the club to decide if he was going to make it or not.
He was not bad with a bat in his hands- I did not get to see him much on TV to look at his defense, but this is quite a surprise.
by dannijd on Mar 30, 2011 1:41 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
If he was good for the team, I was willing to work on it!
I have dealt with players who nauseate me before, and I could have done it again.
by dannijd on Mar 30, 2011 2:20 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
I know they are said to REALLY LIKE MARTINEZ, so that being the case, they didn’t want to send him back, and didn’t have the moves. They couldn’t get rid of Valdez because he is too valuable in later innings right now, they have to keep Martinez here if they like him at all, even if they sparingly use him. That just leaves Castillo as the odd man out. They thought of him as a quick fix anyway, so better to not let it linger. I think if they had more roster flexibility, Castillo would still be a Phillie right now.
You mean like Fabio Castro and David Herndon?
by philiafan14364 on Mar 30, 2011 2:39 PM EDT up reply actions
It’s good. Not great great great, but it’s very good and Jesse Eisenberg was terrific.
http://www.thegoodphight.com
he said rule V POSITION player
"I want to hand this trophy to the MVP of the Super Bowl -- and the MVP of the entire league, Drew Brees.''
-- Sean Payton
by DeuceisLoose926 on Mar 30, 2011 2:48 PM EDT up reply actions
Does this really matter? How big a difference maker is Castillo’s eye compared to what Valdez/Martinez bring?
Baseball: the only sport whose commissioner wants you to think it is still 1960.
by phillies fan in bowie on Mar 30, 2011 1:42 PM EDT reply actions
Castillo OBP last three years = .366
Valdez OBP last year (his best year ever) = .306
Martinez OBP in the minors last year = .312
That’s only one metric but it’s an extremely important one.
Do Exxon and Martinez offset that some with their superior defense and positional flexibility? Just wondering out loud.
Also, is Martinez’s defense necessarily even that good? We know it looks good, but that doesn’t mean he gets to a lot of balls. I’m trying to figure out on his B-R page but I can’t figure out what I’m looking at.
Looks like the best we can do is compare Range Factor per game (putouts + assists per game) for 2008-2010 (2B only):
- Utley: 5.05, 4.92, 5.04 (career 4.96)
- Castillo: 4.27, 4.45, 4.03 (career 4.62)
- Martinez: 4.72, 4.09, 4.60
2009 is worrisome (4.09), but he appears to get to more than Castillo.
Utley’s rankings in RF/9IP (slightly more accurate than per G):
2007 NL 5.10 (2nd)
2008 NL 5.18 (2nd)
2009 NL 5.05 (3rd)
2010 NL 5.14 (1st)
50-year winning record, 1962-2011
Right, that’s obviously important, and I would like to see Castillo on the roster, I just don’t think it would have made a significant difference with Castillo’s reported problems (defense and speed).
Baseball: the only sport whose commissioner wants you to think it is still 1960.
by phillies fan in bowie on Mar 30, 2011 1:56 PM EDT up reply actions
Ha, I tried, but never quite got there. As a resident of North Jersey, over the past 4 years, I’ve probably seen more Mets games than I’ve seen Phillies games, and I just couldn’t wrap my head around this guy as a regular for the Phils, if only as a temporary one, no matter who the alternatives may be.
http://www.bleedinggreennation.com/
I wish...
This move says a lot more about Castillo as opposed to the other alternatives than Utley magically getting better. Although the fact the team is not putting Utley on the 60 day DL is either a great sign or a sign of false optimism.
by dannijd on Mar 30, 2011 2:17 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Even still, Castillo is a nice bench piece. And it’s a chronic condition, so Ultey might need alot more days off that he has in the past.
Yeah, I was kidding. I figure this must just mean Castillo was simply awful in the field. Either that, or deeply questionable decision-making has again carried the day.
It makes me wonder why we ever picked him up in the first place. What kind of performance did he need to make the team?
At least this will force the Mets to choose a new bunt sign. Or not.
"Ninety percent of this game is half mental" - Yogi Berra (SI, May 14, 1979)
by bandwagonesque on Mar 30, 2011 2:07 PM EDT up reply actions
I don’t like the move, because for all the warts and such of having Castillo, he could at least hit at the top of the lineup or at the #6 spot. Valdez is a #8 hitter, period.
So, if Valdez (or Martinez) becomes the regular 2B, does Charlie hit him 8th and move Chooch up? Or does he cross his fingers and put him in the two hole in the hopes of getting on base more?
I think this probably indicates more that Charlie will stick to Jimmy 1 and Victorino 2.
Baseball: the only sport whose commissioner wants you to think it is still 1960.
by phillies fan in bowie on Mar 30, 2011 2:00 PM EDT up reply actions
Currently it looks like Victorino 1 and Rollins 3 is the order of the day with Polanco sandwiched in between.
by dannijd on Mar 30, 2011 3:07 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Certainly interesting….but we’ll see how long Charlie sticks with that, knowing how he trusts The Gut™
by WanderingMoses on Mar 30, 2011 3:13 PM EDT up reply actions
Until they find a way to bring back the dead.
by dannijd on Mar 30, 2011 7:07 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Don't worry about moving Chooch up...
His offensive numbers last year were better batting seventh than eighth.
by dannijd on Mar 30, 2011 2:18 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
We don’t need no stinkin’ OBP!
Writer at SB Nation's Philadelphia Union blog, The Brotherly Game. Follow me on Twitter.
I am going to assume that the misunderstanding when he first joined the team this spring was his ultimate demise. I think he dug himself too big a hole from the start and he is not significant enough of an upgrade over their other players to overlook his fleas.
"Francisco!...that's fun to say!" - Buddy
I usually wouldn’t read too much into something like that, but there may be a point. Maybe he just really is a good old fashioned jerk. I was wondering why they signed him anyway if this kind of performance wasn’t good enough, and maybe his personality actually is the answer. Anybody who has ever had to work/live with/spend lots of time with certain “jerky” people can attest to the fact that it really can effect your mood. So if some sort of extreme personality problem really is the case (which there admittedly isn’t much proof of) then I wouldn’t exactly disagree with the decision.
So does this mean they don’t owe him anything and that the Mets are again on the hook for the full $6M?
/silverlining’d
Yes to both (although the Mets could still save the money if someone else picks him up).
by dannijd on Mar 30, 2011 2:22 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Great so because Wilson Valdez is nicer, I have to put up with a contact hitter that can’t draw a fucking walk and GIDPs every other AB because he swings at everything. Fucking fantastic.
Dude relax, Valdez can at least hit a double once in a while. Castillo can barely get the ball over the infield. Their OPS is virtually the same.
I think it’s been explained before that the components of OPS are not equal. One point of OBP is worth much more than one point of SLG.
http://www.thegoodphight.com
If it’s any consolation, from what I recall when looking at it, Valdez’ GIDP rate last year was about twice his career rate, so it should be better this year.
50-year winning record, 1962-2011
Not what we usually talk about when discussing regressing to the mean, eh?
by WanderingMoses on Mar 30, 2011 3:02 PM EDT up reply actions
If OBP is worth more than SLG, why calculate OPS = OBP + SLG?
I have always wondered about this…
Why not OBP*(weighting factor) + SLG?
Why are they weighted equally?
Because it’s much easier to eyeball and just add OBP and SLG without weighting one or the other.
Last I heard it ought to be approximately 1.75xOBP + SLG but I’m not too sure.
http://www.thegoodphight.com
Paul DePodesta would say that a point of OBP is worth 3 points of SLG..
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Mostly because OPS was “invented” before it was widely known that OBP was more valuable than SLG. Also, OPS as-is already correlates very well with run scoring so there are diminishing returns by refining it so it’s useful to keep it as a crude measure that you don’t even need a calculator to figure.
I’m comfortable with the idea that whatever offensive advantage Castillo might have due to his OBP-heavy OPS, he gives up (and possibly more) with shoddy defense. I can’t really prove this of course but it seems reasonable.
I can’t see him giving up more runs than he would create in relation to Valdez.
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In Castillo's defense:
He hit a double recently.
by dannijd on Mar 30, 2011 7:10 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
So anyone catch this little number?
http://www.amazinavenue.com/2011/3/30/2079956/my-prediction-for-the-nl-east
He’s not crazy for picking the Braves to win the division, but he is absolutely batshit insane for thinking the Mets are sniffing the playoffs this year.
I actually think that the Nats could get out of the basement- it is possible the Mets will be worse.
by dannijd on Mar 30, 2011 7:12 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Jeez, I thought that would’ve been a fanpost. The Braves finishing first is definitely feasible. But I just don’t see any possible way the Mets finish second, even accounting for a perfectly healthy Mets team and a more injury prone Phillies team. I don’t even really see much likelihood of the Mets finishing ahead of the Marlins. Weird.
Wow. That’s some impressively selective reasoning.
So take away Utley and the entire lineup becomes a bunch of useless strikeout machines, plus all five starters are virtually guaranteed to be injured within minutes.
Especially when you consider the Phils finished with the best record last year, even with long stints on the DL by Utley, Rollins, etc. Werth is a huge loss but you’d figure the addition of another ace certainly makes up for that. If the team is healthier than last year, I don’t see any possible way we actually finish fourth and fall apart.
But as WC said below, I’m not sure how serious the post actually is. Might just be in fun.
OHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGOD
The WAR at second base just went from .5 to .45!!!!
THE END IS NIGH!
Why look'st thou so?' -"With my crossbow
I shot the Albatross."
by RememberthePhitans on Mar 30, 2011 2:36 PM EDT reply actions
Maybe this means there's a deal in the works
Mitch Williams threw out his idea for a perfect trade again this morning on Angelo Cataldi’s show: Oswalt for Michael Young straight up. Cataldi thought it was the greatest thing he ever heard of.
More likely, they’re happy with the not-so-great options they already have.
50-year winning record, 1962-2011
I wouldn’t have thought it possible, but I believe Mitch has caught up to and indeed surpassed Ricky Bo as the dumbest baseball commentator in town.
We really need to develop a dumbness alert graphic similar to the Amaro smug warning. It’s hard to tell where all the many morons fall in ranking anymore.
"Ninety percent of this game is half mental" - Yogi Berra (SI, May 14, 1979)
by bandwagonesque on Mar 30, 2011 3:18 PM EDT up reply actions
I don’t even watch MLB Network! Just listen to some WIP in the car when I don’t like what NPR’s got on.
Same here. My commute is too long to stick with the iPod the whole way.
"Ninety percent of this game is half mental" - Yogi Berra (SI, May 14, 1979)
by bandwagonesque on Mar 30, 2011 3:54 PM EDT up reply actions
Yeah, what about yor reading list sir. Oh and reading comment sections on Philly.com and the like.You can’t hide your stash from an ex-dope fiend. I know all the tricks.
C’mon man. Just hit me up with one Conlin bit. I’ll get you back next Thursday.
C’mon. You know I’m good for it. Just one for the road?
"Ninety percent of this game is half mental" - Yogi Berra (SI, May 14, 1979)
by bandwagonesque on Mar 30, 2011 3:59 PM EDT up reply actions
Considering how bad they are, wouldn’t it just be put on red and stay there?
by dannijd on Mar 30, 2011 7:14 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
I might have to punch myself in the face if that deal goes down.
Why look'st thou so?' -"With my crossbow
I shot the Albatross."
by RememberthePhitans on Mar 30, 2011 3:18 PM EDT up reply actions
Um… You do realize that one of the ways to determine an idea’s intelligence is to go with the opposite of what Cataldi likes, right?
by dannijd on Mar 30, 2011 3:10 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
I hear that Mitch also said on TV yesterday that the absence of a closer due to Lidge’s injury is a much bigger problem for the Phils than the Utley injury is.
WHAT?!?!? How could anyone other than a former closer believe something so batshit?
Aristotle was not Belgian, the principle of Buddhism is not "every man for himself", and the London Underground is not a political movement.
Ever since this year began, I’ve been feeling as if Mitch has just been pulling everyone’s legs on purpose. It’s like he goes out of his way to be wrong on every issue. Nobody’s wrong that often. It’s impossible.
I mean, seriously. How one could feel that someone who hasn’t been a consistently good RP since 2008 is more important to a team than one of the best 2B’s in the game is beyond ridiculous. He has to be making that shit up. I realize these guys don’t support WAR, but Utley’s is eleventy billion points higher than Lidge’s. /slight hyperbole, but you get the point
Aristotle was not Belgian, the principle of Buddhism is not "every man for himself", and the London Underground is not a political movement.
He also repeated that this morning. He’s consistently one of the real drawbacks of watching MLB network.
50-year winning record, 1962-2011
There’s help available for compulsive behaviors that you want to stop.
If you ever need a hand, I’ll be there.
Why look'st thou so?' -"With my crossbow
I shot the Albatross."
by RememberthePhitans on Mar 30, 2011 3:20 PM EDT up reply actions
90% of MLB network is fine, so it’s a matter of learning to tune out whenever Mitchi-poo opens his trap.
50-year winning record, 1962-2011
I think the whole network is devolving, with all the List Shows and Rankings and crap, it’s going to way of Bleacher Report TV.
http://www.thegoodphight.com
Its really hard to fill up air time during the off-season. I dont mind those at all. They stir up conversation and interest. The team reviews, the top 100 players, the top 50 prospects, the 30 for 30, the 20 greatest games. As a baseball fan I’d rather have that than NASCAR updates on ESPN.
What conversation or interest did they stir up? I can’t remember a single discussion about any list they did anywhere.
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I liked some of it, and know that it is what it is- a time filler durin the offseason (and a way for me to get my baseball fix in the offseason when I really get to missing it!)
by dannijd on Mar 30, 2011 7:18 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
I decided to go On Demand with my Comcast and watch the Phillies MLB Network 30 Clubs in 30 Days.
What a mistake that was. I love Mitch, but he and Billy Ripken together are utterly unwatchable.
by WanderingMoses on Mar 30, 2011 3:22 PM EDT up reply actions
Why can’t MLBN get really innovative and bring on some SABR folks? That would be so awesome. It’s not like they don’t have a ton of airtime to fill.
Aristotle was not Belgian, the principle of Buddhism is not "every man for himself", and the London Underground is not a political movement.
I mean, a half-hour dedicated to explaining some basic stats. Work it into Fantasy BB if you have to, but I think they owe it it folks to explore “the other side” of the sport.
Aristotle was not Belgian, the principle of Buddhism is not "every man for himself", and the London Underground is not a political movement.
because a) they don’t think most of their audience is ready for it, or (I think) b) the guys making the decisions aren’t up on it and still view it with suspicion.
50-year winning record, 1962-2011
I have friends who have followed the game all their lives who fall into Category B, and still think ‘grit’ and ‘hustle’ are good ways to quantify performance. I spent 2 hours last night talking with such a friend whose biggest fear is that telecasts of baseball games are only going to show WAR, UZR and RAA as the main stats.
by WanderingMoses on Mar 30, 2011 3:31 PM EDT up reply actions
Also, I hate to say it, but most saber folks are kind of dull on camera. I vaguely recall SNY doing a segment featuring Ted something-or-other (a saber guy who I think writes on Amazin Avenue?) discussing the methodologies behind various advanced stats. Even I found it to be deathly boring.
Well, true—but I’m certain if you really tried hard enough you could find someone with a brain that has some personality and looks good on camera.
Aristotle was not Belgian, the principle of Buddhism is not "every man for himself", and the London Underground is not a political movement.
Nope. He’s got too many kids. Atrophies the brain.
Aristotle was not Belgian, the principle of Buddhism is not "every man for himself", and the London Underground is not a political movement.
I said someone who looks good on camera, man. LOL.
Aristotle was not Belgian, the principle of Buddhism is not "every man for himself", and the London Underground is not a political movement.
BTW, how the fuck does that guy still get work? I think he’s beyond awful.
Aristotle was not Belgian, the principle of Buddhism is not "every man for himself", and the London Underground is not a political movement.
I read an article (posted here maybe?) that said the critics who saw the advance screening of Moneyball loved his performance, believe it or not. I’ve found him pretty annoying in most of his movies too, though.
Just saw “Get Me to the Greek,” and it was just dreadful. Perhaps “Moneyball” is more in his wheelhouse acting skill-wise, who knows. Let’s definitely have plan a movie review for that one on TGP.
Aristotle was not Belgian, the principle of Buddhism is not "every man for himself", and the London Underground is not a political movement.
We need an Erin Andrews type that guys will tune into to watch because she’s hot and women will respect as a leader in the field. Win/win I’m telling you.
Aristotle was not Belgian, the principle of Buddhism is not "every man for himself", and the London Underground is not a political movement.
I don’t look like Erin Andrews. Once upon a time, maybe when I was in college and a size 3 I could pull it off, but not anymore sadly. I’m no hideous troll, but nearing 40 has its downsides.
Aristotle was not Belgian, the principle of Buddhism is not "every man for himself", and the London Underground is not a political movement.
Hey check it out. I found it.
http://www.metsblog.com/2010/08/11/ted-berg-and-i-discuss-fip/
Apparently this is actually like a regular podcast, not a onetime thing these guys did. Matt Cerrone, if I understand it correctly, is the proprietor of a very popular blog which saber-oriented Mets fans like to poop on. I don’t know if there’s a direct Phillies analog, but I guess it would be sort of like if WC were to do a weekly video on the CSNPhilly website with someone from, say, Phillies Nation or 700 Level.
I watched SportsFinal on NBC-10 on Sunday night. John Clark, Howard Eskin – with special guest: Larry Bowa. It was as if the entire inside of my cranium was a blackboard, and all three of them had long fingernails.
by Wet Luzinski on Mar 31, 2011 12:18 AM EDT up reply actions
Mitchipoo predicted Mayberry would win the RF job over Brown early on. He kinda got that one half-right
a few more details about mitch's arguments
1. The reason why he thinks Madson isn’t a good ninth-inning option is not because he thinks Madson pitches any worse in the ninth, but because the mentality of hitters changes in that inning. Specifically he thinks you have to throw more balls in the ninth inning because hitters don’t work the count as much then, and the problem with Madson’s style is that he doesn’t throw enough balls.
2. He thinks the Phillies should try to put together a trade for Heath Bell at the trade deadline.
3. The main reason why he thinks the Utley injury isn’t so big of a deal is because, given this team’s starting rotation, the main thing the team needs is offense, not defense, and putting Valdez at second base gives the team a stronger defense.
We get to watch Wilson Valdez ground into more double plays this year and never get on base. What a great move RAJ…… His arrogance gets in the way of thinking logically almost all of the time.
Just curious
why isn’t Barfield still in the mix? Was he really bad in the field this spring?
Because he’s not particularly good. His spring was decent, but didn’t show more than some of the other guys.
by philsandthrills on Mar 30, 2011 5:20 PM EDT up reply actions
I’ve become convinced that the difference between the people who grudgingly accepted the idea of Castillo on the team (like me), and those who were opposed, is the recognition of the importance of on-base percentage.
http://www.thegoodphight.com
I think it’s more, understanding OBP vs. SLG and why one OPS is better than another even if they add up to the same value.
Though, I guess that’s the same thing in the end.
by philsandthrills on Mar 30, 2011 7:00 PM EDT up reply actions
OBP is extremely important, and if batting average were never mentioned again in favor of OBP, I think the discourse would improve on the whole. But it’s not everything, and those who look at OPS instead of OBP are not deluded – SLG does in fact matter, and while a .400/400 guy might be marginally more valuable than a .350/.450 guy, the difference really is marginal.
Fun fact: SLG correlates better with run scoring at the team level than either AVG or OBP.
Orr instead of Castillo?
Just when you think you understand the front office the make a stupid move. Why keep Orr?
Bad enough Valdez can’t hit for anything. But Martinez that kid works hard plays hard and wow think of this He can hit better then Valdez or Orr so why not drop Orr if they are so hell bent on keeping Valdez? And that would make room for Castillo. Trade Utley for Young and a middle reliever.
by Westbrooksgirl22 on Mar 31, 2011 8:38 PM EDT reply actions
I was hoping they’d keep Castillo, but as someone said, Orr can play 3rd and maybe they thought they needed insurance for Polanco given his elbow issue.
Regarding Utley/Young, it’s hard to believe, but I get the impression you’re serious.
1) Young is not very good, as outlined here and here.
2) Utley is more valuable in half a season than Young is in a full season
3) you don’t give up real value for middle relievers, whose performance typically can’t be reliably predicted
50-year winning record, 1962-2011
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