And the more I think about it, the more I want Castillo hitting leadoff, assuming he’s going to play every day. Getting on base is by far the most important thing for the leadoff hitter to do, and coincidentally it’s also by far the best (some might say "only") skill Castillo has at the plate. If he could put up an OBP of .360 and steal 20-25 bases at a decent success rate, without having to worry about advancing/driving in runners in front of him (which he’s not suited to doing because he takes a lot of pitches and almost exclusively hits the ball on the ground), I think he could be a legitimate contributor. Probably still not worth $6M, but since the Mets have to pay that if the keep him regardless of how much he’s used, and probably would have to pay part of it if they traded him, may as well find a way to optimize the use of his skills.

In contrast, the fact that Reyes tied for second on the team with 72 extra base hits last year demonstrates that he has value elsewhere in the lineup. Even if some of those triples turn into doubles with slower guys in front of him, they’re still pretty useful. I think it’s probably a non-starter because “Reyes is the leadoff hitter” but it’s worth considering.

I’m just thinking from Omar’s perspective that we need to have a “regular secondbaseman” waiting in the wings.

Jim Rice

Jeter, of course. That will never happen. Unless steroids help you invent the inside-out swing and the jump throw in the hole.

Chipper Jones?