The Phillies wasted no time in replacing the injured Chase Utley by acquiring second baseman Tadahito Iguchi from the White Sox today for a Class A reliever that was not even one of their top ten prospects.
Yes, you read that correctly.
Iguchi, 32, was batting .251 with six homers and 31 RBIs in 90 games this season. In 16 games against National League teams in 2007, he hit .311 (19-61). A native of Tokyo, Japan, Iguchi batted .281 last season with 18 home runs and 67 RBI in 138 games and appeared in 12 playoff games for the White Sox in 2005.
The Phillies actually learned that Utley wouldn’t miss as much time as they had originally feared, and now believe he can return in 3 weeks or less.
Iguchi was considered the top available second baseman in the game and many thought that the Mets were targeting him after losing Jose Valentin for the season.
Iguchi spent eight seasons with the Fukuoka Daiei Hawks of the Japanese Pacific League, where he was a four-time All-Star and won three Gold Gloves as a second baseman. With Fukuoka, Iguchi hit .271 with 149 home runs and 507 RBIs and collected 159 stolen bases.
He was making $3.25 million this season with the White Sox.
I can’t believe the Phillies got a talent like Iguchi for a song, while we play tiddly winks on the sidelines.
By the way, Jorge Sosa continues to look bad out there and is getting torched in the early going of tonights game.
Ergh…
