The newly acquired Tadahito Iguchi may start at 2B tonight against the Bucs. We like the deal that brought him here--it was quick, and relatively painless (except perhaps at the Dubee household). Iguchi hasn't been playing up to his decent potential so far this year, but the move from one of the coldest lineups in the majors to one of the hottest could really spark him to get closer to last year's numbers (.281, 18 HR, 67 RBI, 11 SB). He can get on base (not to shabby .774 OPS last season), and he's a clear step up from Honest Abe. Phillies.com reported that Kenny Williams contacted Pat Gillick immediately after he saw a SportsCenter report that Chase Utley went down. We all know what happened last time we thought Pat had fleeced Williams, so let's hope Iguchi doesn't come limping out of the dugout tonight.
Iguchi barely speaks English, so he and Uncle Chollie should communicate with ease. His contract is up after this season (hence the low trade cost), and it's not terribly likely he'll be a Phillie in '08. Hopefully he'll be one hell of a rental in the meantime.
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