Luis Castillo gives good glove. As for offense, um, not so much. Which is a good sign for the also-ran Braves, Marlins, Mets and Senators in the NL East. Pre-ordained “best-team-ever” Philadelphia’s signing of Castillo yesterday adds depth at second until Chase Utley‘s return — assuming he comes back anytime soon. The Castillo signing should have Phils phans pheeling phunky because it indicates Utley’s injury may be more troublesome than initially thought.
With Jayson Werth counting bank in Washington and the re-boot of Dominic Brown temporarily on hold due to injury, losing Utley for an extended period could impact run production, especially if Jimmy Rollins and Ryan Howard spend time on the DL or struggle through extended slumps. Without Utley’s bat, the starting rotation will have even more pressure to limit opposing teams to fewer runs per game. No matter how good your starting rotation is, you still need to score runs.
So, what do you think? Will an extended stay on the DL for Utley impact the Phillies’ chances to win the NL East? How do they make up for Utley’s production?