Phillies release Luis Castillo

Posted by Admin at 2:18 pm

Mar 302011

buh-bye Luis

By Justin Adkins:

The tryout is over.

The Phillies announced today that second baseman Luis Castillo has been released. Signed to a minor league contract last week in the wake of Chase Utley’s knee trouble, the 35 year-old former Met and Marlin apparently didn’t do enough to stick around.

Not a surprise really considering his skills have evaporated faster than a drop of water on a rock in the Sahara.

Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said when Castillo was signed that “[h]e’s not going to the minor leagues, [h]e’ll either make our club or be released.”

And that’s exactly what happened.

Castillo hit .271 in seven games with the Phillies, and while he did show an ability to take a base his defense didn’t prove enough to make him any more valuable than younger guys with potential, like Michael Martinez.

“Martinez is a really interesting guy,” Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said. “He can run, has a strong arm and great agility, he’s acrobatic in the field and his hitting is better than you think.”

Martinez should make the team, and even if he struggles, he’s a better option than the bumbling Castillo.