FanPost

Another second baseman down

Chase Utley broke his hand recently. That makes two teams in the NL East that need quick replacements for second basemen as the deadline approaches.

Terry Ryan could not have planned it better. Both teams are contending, and not just for playoff spots, but with each other for fans in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, and upstate New York. Both have had scouts at Twins games and Twins minor league games recently. This is the perfect storm heading into the final weekend before the trading deadline.

If Ryan can get them in a bidding war for Luis Castillo, he can get more than he could reasonably expect in any other circumstance. The Phillies could offer Victorino, the Mets could offer Milledge. And rather than Ryan needing to throw in a prospect, Gillick and Minaya could be throwing in prospects.

I would put the odds at better than 50-50 that Ryan will get something done with one of those teams. The question is, who would you like to see from one of these teams in a Twins uniform?