The Phillies Cut Luis Castillo; What They Didn't Say, Though

When the Phillies grew all concerned about Chase Utley's season, they inked the recently released Castillo to a minor-league deal. The fans thought that Utley's season (and future) might be in doubt. After all, Castillo is a seasoned second baseman. Apparently, the team might not have been confident starting journeyman Wilson Valdez at second (even though he filled in admirably for Jimmy Rollins last season when he was hurt), or giving significant playing time to Rule 5 draftee Michael Martinez and veteran non-roster invitees Delwyn Young and Pete Orr. That was about 10 days ago. But a funny thing happened, or a few funny things did. First, Castillo didn't bust his rear end to get to Phillies' camp, showing up a day later than he should have and then offered a lame excuse. Second, he played matador on a ground ball/throw combination in an exhibition game that might be a nuance to many but not to Phillies' observers. Put differently, he showed that he'...