Did the Phillies Miss the Boat by Releasing Iguchi?
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Major League Baseball reports that 2nd baseman Tadahito Iguchi, who was acquired to spell Chase Utley during the period of his injury and with whom the Phillies didn’t miss a beat at 2nd base, was released by the team last Thursday.
Iguchi, it is now being reported, is drawing interest from several teams in the free agent market.
MLB.com’s Jim Molony provides background;
Philadelphia officially released Iguchi, who batted .301 while filling in for the injured Chase Utley last season, on Thursday. But a contractual stipulation that required the Phillies to release Iguchi without offering salary arbitration — meaning the Phillies won’t get draft pick compensation as they would have — meant Iguchi would go on the market as a free agent.
Iguchi’s agent, Rocky Hall, confirmed to MLB.com that five teams — the Angels, Astros, Brewers, Padres and Rockies — have expressed an interest in talking with his client, though Iguchi cannot begin negotiations with new teams until Monday [November 19] at 9 a.m. ET.
“His contract contains a clause that gives him the right to reject a waiver claim, so even though he has to clear waivers, teams understand he can’t be claimed,” said Hall, who is seeking a three-year deal for his client. “He’s technically on waivers, but he can reject those as he is a free agent.”
The Phillies approached Iguchi about playing third base, but the player told the Phillies he’d prefer to stay at second.
But should the Phillies have released Iguchi, exposing him to free agency when they really could have used the depth he provides at 2nd base behind Utley? While the Phils may have suitable flexibility at the other infield positions and Iguchi could just provide the pop with the bat and defensive depth the Phils need if he were adapted for 3rd base, was it a prudent move to release him based on his reluctance to switch and learn 3rd base? Were the Phils sufficiently appreciative of the quality of Iguchi’s tour as Utley’s stand-in? Do they sufficiently appreciate that Iguchi kept them in the NL East Division chase during the month which Utley spent on the DL? Will the move come back to haunt the Phillies in the 2008 chase to repeat as NL East champs and to advance further in the playoffs?
Frankly, I consider Iguchi’s release a possible major blunder in the making.
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