Saturday, December 11, 2010

Dodgers Can't Get Enough Castro

Clearly Juan Castro has incriminating photos of Ned Colletti, as there is no way to explain why the Dodgers have signed the 38-year old to a third tour of duty with LA:

LOS ANGELES -- The Dodgers signed infielder Juan Castro to a Minor League contract on Saturday, with an invite to Major League Spring Training camp. It will be Castro's fourth stint in the organization.

Castro, 38, will receive $500,000 if he makes the club, according to ESPNLos Angeles.com. Castro, who opened the 2010 season with Philadelphia, was released after batting .198 and signed by the Dodgers. He spent 10 days with Los Angeles in the Major Leagues, and the remainder of his time was spent at Triple-A. His season was cut short when he went home to attend to his ailing wife, who has since recovered.

A defensive specialist, Castro is viewed as insurance. Chin-lung Hu, out of options, has the inside track for the backup middle infield job heading into Spring Training.

"Defensive specialist"? I suppose that's the only way to describe a 15-year veteran who has NEVER had an OPS+ above 100 with any team (in fact, he's had negative OPS+ three times in his career: a -23 OPS+ 2010 with the Dodgers (one game, 3 AB, 0 H and 1 BB), a -73 OPS+ with Cincinnati in 2008 (7 games, 0-for-10), and a mind-blowing -100 OPS+ in 1999 when he ended his first run with the Dodgers (2 games, 0-for-1 with 1 K)). And this is the guy that we want back.

Does Castro qualify as depth if we are so far in the shallow end that it doesn't classify as a pool, but a puddle?

9 comments:

Kyle Baker said...

I think there is an unclosed parenthetical in that paragraph, and it's freaking me out.

Steve Sax said...

(((F'ing (A)) Dusty, you're right (again))!)

Mr. LA Sports Czar said...

He's never had an OPS+? That is bizarre.

Steve Sax said...

man, i gotta stop posting when I'm drunk

Steve Sax said...

fixed

Kyle Baker said...

Man, I gotta stop commenting when I'm drunk.

Wait, that would really limit things.

Hey, speaking of...@Sax I just saw a 32 year Oban in the window of an upscale liquor store here in Dupont Circle in DC. WOW.

Steve Sax said...

@Dusty, what's it go for?

rbnlaw said...

I gotta quit drunking when I'm post.


The Dodgers need a castr(o)ation.

Kyle Baker said...

@Sax

I wasn't even pre-qualified to be able to inquire as to its price. I'll try to catch a little sneak peek when I walk back by the store today.