Phillies planning a quick decision on Castillo

CLEARWATER, Fla. - Luis Castillo traveled across the state of Florida with no guarantee other than nine games as a Phillie. Nine games to prove he still has value to a major-league team. Nine games to shed the labels applied to the 35-year-old second baseman's character and declining skills.

Nine games or he's gone, at no absolutely no cost to the Phillies.

"He's not going to the minor leagues," general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said. "He'll either make our club or be released."

And so the stakes for this nine-game tryout are set. Castillo has 10 days to win a spot on the Phillies' opening-day roster after signing a minor-league deal Monday. He did not arrive until after the team's 4-1 victory over Boston. But during the game, clubhouse attendants cleared a locker space for him between Placido Polanco and Raul Ibanez.

The evaluation will begin immediately; Charlie Manuel expects Castillo in his lineup for Tuesday's Grapefruit League game against Toronto. He should play daily.

"Some guys I can look at for two minutes," Manuel said. "Nine days, that's a pretty good stretch, especially if he's playing."

Wilson Valdez remains the likely opening-day replacement for Chase Utley, whose chronic right knee pain will sideline him for the foreseeable future. But Amaro characterized the starting job at second as "kind of open." Castillo could slide in there, he said.

Castillo was limited to 86 games because of foot injuries in 2010. His .337 on-base percentage in 299 plate appearances was his lowest since 1998. But it was still better than the 2010 rates of Jimmy Rollins (.320), Shane Victorino (.327), and Valdez (.306).

"It's kind of a low-risk situation for us," Amaro said. "If he can help us, it would be great. If he can't, then we'll probably go with what we've got here in camp."

Castillo is due $6 million in 2011, but that will be paid by the Mets. The Phillies owe Castillo no money until his contract is officially purchased, meaning he is added to the 40-man roster. That will only happen if he makes the team. If that is the case, the Phillies are on the hook for only the major-league minimum of $414,000.

The deal underscores the continued concern about Utley, who has not displayed any discernible progress since leaving camp to meet with an undisclosed rehab specialist last week. Amaro said Utley's progress remains "status quo."

"We have been concerned," Amaro said. "We haven't made any bones about that."

So enter Castillo. In New York, he became a symbol of the failed regime that was ousted this winter. He dropped a routine pop-up with two outs in the ninth to hand a game to the Yankees in the summer of 2009 that cemented his infamy. Last season, he skipped a team visit to a military hospital.

This spring, he arrived at Mets camp on time but was still criticized by his new manager, Terry Collins, for not coming early. Castillo said a relative was hospitalized.

Off-field reasons were primarily why Castillo was cut.

"Had he had a good 10 days, and then a bad day," Collins told reporters Friday, "the good 10 days would have been second place to the bad day."

The Phillies said their reports and research show Castillo is a player who could benefit from a change of scenery. Backup catcher Brian Schneider played with Castillo in New York for two seasons and called him a good teammate.

"All of our indications from the people that we've talked to are very positive about the guy," Amaro said. "He's a good guy. We'll find out more about him as he's here. That's one of the reasons why we're bringing him up. We'll get to know him a little bit."

Some scouts who saw Castillo this spring have pronounced his career over, his quickness sapped by bad knees and age. Amaro acknowledged those questions about his range.

Still, the Phillies want a look for themselves.

"I think it's best," Amaro said, "to get our guys' eyes on him."