From the Post:Asked if he needs some time off, Castillo said: "Sometimes, I do. When I play three or four games in a row, maybe I can get a day off. I'm going to talk to Willie about it."He's joking, right?
Castillo is fresh off a four year, $25 million deal, and he needs rest after playing three games?
I've been a huge fan of Castillo since he came to the team, as he has pretty good range and developed a nice camaraderie with Jose Reyes for turning double plays. He's very willing to give himself up in a bunting situation, and seems very "for the team."
I know he's working on some bum knees, but he just had them surgically repaired. I thought playing on grass instead of the artificial turf in Minnesota would help him out. I guess I was wrong.
He looks sluggish, slow and, I'm pulling no punches here, downright lazy. That butcher-boy swing he takes at first can barely get the ball out of the infield. He has no power left in his bat, not that I expected home runs from him, but he seems incapable of getting the ball past the pitchers mound.
In the field, he still shows a bit of a glove, as he made a few nice running plays in the field last night. He still has a decent arm, as he's able to turn double plays fairly well. The trouble he has is gimping over the second to turn it. I'm worried about his knees. He just doesn't seem comfortable out there, running, fielding, or even standing.
Omar Minaya gave this guy four years?! I was expecting Castillo to get in two good years, decline for his third, and be a platoon / bench player in his final year. At this point, I'd be happy with one decent year, at the most. Half a year, even.
Something needs to happen soon, because I'm getting pretty sick of Castillo's play. I know he's perpetually injured, so I can cut him some slack there, but he needs to start performing or something is going to need to happen.
Put Argenis Reyes on the fast track.