Jerry Manuel Makes First Smart Move of the Season

We haven't even seen the first pitch of the 2009 season and already Jerry Manuel has made possibly the smartest lineup move. Manuel has confirmed that he plans to bat Daniel Murphy second in the order and move the Luis "The Gimp" Castillo to the 8th spot.

No more drama about batting Castillo leadoff and Reyes third. This is the best place for Murphy. He'll see a bunch of fastballs with Reyes being on base in front of him. He's a contact hitter which is what you want in that second spot, and he'll be sandwiched between Reyes and Wright which is the best protection the Mets lineup can offer.

Also, the eighth spot in the order is the right place for Castillo. He can stay out of the spotlight and hopefully get comfortable enough to get back into the swing of things. He'll get a bunch of walks being in front of the pitcher and we're not asking him to be a serious producer in the lineup batting eighth.

This doesn't automatically guarnatee success for Murphy, Castillo or the Mets lineup, but I think it's the best use of the talent that's available to put the most optimal lineup out there to produce runs.

I truly hope Castillo can get back to his old self this season where he deserves to be a #2 hitter, but I'm not counting on it quite yet.