May 17 -- FABIO NOT LOOKING GOOD

Please don't let this post distract you from commenting on the previous one. We've had an excellent give-and-take about whether the Phillies are overusing Brett Myers, and I'd like to keep that going. Look for my response to some of your comments, and, as always, I welcome your replies.

One note, though, on beleaguered lefty reliever Fabio Castro. On April 26, the Phillies demoted struggling Matt Smith to triple-A Ottawa because he couldn't throw strikes. They replaced him with Castro, and, well, check out their respective numbers after today's game, in which Castro walked lefty-swinging Prince Fielder and gave up an RBI double by Johnny Estrada for the eventual winning run.

SMITH: 4.0 IP, 4 H, 5 R, 11 BB, 1 K, 11.25 ERA
CASTRO: 2.1 IP, 4 H, 5 R, 4 BB, 3 K, 19.29 ERA

Clearly, the Phillies need to find a veteran lefty. But who? The Yankees recalled Ron Villone from triple-A this week before he could exercise a clause in his contract and become a free agent. Rheal Cormier, deemed unreliable by the Phillies after last season, signed a minor-league deal with the Braves. I talked to assistant GM Ruben Amaro Jr. a few days ago, and he suggested it would be foolish to bring in a lefty reliever simply for the sake of having a lefty reliever. If you can't find a good lefty, Amaro said, it's sometimes better to have no lefties.

Right now, I wonder whether no lefties would be better than Castro.

Chime in, if you'd like, and then get back to the Myers debate. I'll have more later or tomorrow on Freddy Garcia's latest flop and an answer to Matt In Philadelphia's Michael Bourn query.