The Rockies signed the right-hander Diego Castillo to a minor league contract, according to Aram Leighton of Just Baseball Media. The deal includes an invitation for Castillo (who turns 31 next month) to attend Colorado’s major league spring camp.
Castillo is best known for his five-year run as the workhorse in the Rays’ and Mariners’ bullpens from 2018-22, as the righty posted a 3.12 ERA, 28.1% strikeout rate, 50.7% slugging rate, and a walk rate of 8.9%. 259 2/3 innings and 250 appearances in that span. Unfortunately, he got off to a rough start in his first eight games (and 8 2/3 innings) of 2023, leading the Mariners to remove him from the 40-man roster in early May. Castillo spent the remainder of the season in Triple-A, then opted for free agency at the end of the season.
The Rangers signed Castillo to a minor league deal last winter and released him late in Spring Training, with the Twins quickly adding him to another contract in the minors. Castillo’s season in Minnesota saw him twice designated for assignment and left of the 40-man roster, and he re-signed a minor league deal with the Twins after electing to gain free agency after that early midseason start. All of these moves led to another season of minor league MLB playing time, as Castillo appeared in 10 games with the Twins and posted a 2.70 ERA in 10 innings.
Control is the biggest problem that has caused Castillo’s decline, as his walk rate has risen to 14.92% over 84 1/3 innings of Triple-A ball over the past two seasons, and 17.9% in his short MLB sample size. -18 2/3. innings. The drop in velocity may have contributed to Castillo’s struggles in 2023 in particular, though his fastball increased from 93.8 mph in 2023 to 95.9 mph in 2024.
Castillo’s prime years are recent enough that it makes sense that teams still want to make a move on the veteran righty. For the Rockies in particular, his ability to keep the ball on the ground could be useful in the thin air of Coors Field, if Castillo can earn a shot in Colorado’s active lineup.
Source link
