Phillies closing in on Castro

The Phillies could be close to finding a replacement for departing utilityman Eric Bruntlett.

FOXSports.com is reporting that the Phillies and Dodgers are competing for the services of utilityman Juan Castro with the Phils as the frontrunners.

Castro's agent, Oscar Suarez, told Andy Martino that the Phillies are deep in talks with the veteran but no deal is imminent.

Castro, 37, is a .230 hitter, with just a .270 on-base percentage, in 15 major league seasons. In 57 games with the Dodgers last year, he batted .277, while playing shortstop, second base, third base and left field and is regarded as a bit of an upgrade over Eric Bruntlett.