Overview
- 2023 stats: 1 G, 1 AB, .000/.000/.000, -100 OPS+
- Date of delivery: October 28, 1997 (26 years old for the time being of publishing)
- 2023 earnings: $3,871 (through Spotrac)
- 2024 standing: On 40-man roster, 1 possibility remaining.
Introduction
If this had been a Random D-Back piece I’d have researched Diego Castillo a bit extra, however since hardly anybody reads these participant evaluations, I’ll maintain myself and my valuable time a bit extra restricted.
Diego Castillo was born in Venezuela, the mom land of catchers, however wasn’t a catcher himself. He signed with the New York Yankees within the 2014 International signing interval for the respectable sum of $750,000. Castillo was one of many higher signings of his class, being ranked as extremely as 16 and as little as 24.
Signed as a shortstop with a superb glove, the Yankees’ hope was after all that he might develop into the sort of shortstop prodigy many groups hope for: good with the glove, ok with the bat. From the start Castillo wasn’t a lot of an influence bat, however his contact abilities had been extremely valued. Some questioned his foot work and puzzled whether or not he would wind up at second base.
As we all know by now, his foot work certainly pressured groups to maneuver him over to 2nd base, and the doubt about his contact abilities would result in prospect websites finally placing his ground as a utility sort of participant than an on a regular basis one at second base.
Diego Castillo had some fanfare early in his profession, particularly after a .331/.373/.444 line within the DOSL in 2015. But after crossing over to the USA he would get caught at Class A for 3 years, earlier than having considerably of a breakout season in 2021, the 12 months after COVID lockdown, which had him transfer from AA to AAA.
That 2021 season noticed him transfer franchises, because the Pirates had been in a position to embody him within the deal for reliever Clay Holmes. At the top of the season the Pirates determined so as to add him to the 40-man roster and shield him from a Rule 5 draft, by which he would have been certainly taken by some workforce.
Castillo obtained the prospect to develop into an on a regular basis participant in Pittsburgh in 2022 and was a part of the opening day roster. From April to finish July Castillo obtained greater than sufficient possibilities to set his identify in stone, however failed to take action. Except for a 3 hit recreation in the beginning of the season, he was by no means actually ready to take action and the Pirates optioned him forward of the commerce deadline to Indianapolis with a .613 OPS.
He returned for some extra at bats mid September till the top of the season, however wasn’t in a position to present any enchancment. That made the Pirates designate him for project by the top of December.
Because of his former prospect standing and the utility participant outlook, the Pirates had been sure to lose the participant on a waiver declare, however had been in a position to accept a cope with the Diamondbacks. They truly obtained fairly the attention-grabbing participant from Hazen for a participant that was DFA’d: beginning pitcher Scott Randall. Unfortunately the deal hasn’t labored out that properly for the Pirates to this point as a result of Randall hit the Full season injured record within the minor leagues earlier than the start of the season.
2023 assessment
Diego Castillo thus joined the Diamondbacks within the 2023 low season. In his place Taylor Widener was DFA’d. Castillo had a terrific exhibiting within the Venezuelan Winter Leagues, one which has suffered in high quality due to the established order between the nation and the US, with a 1.001 OPS for the Caribes the Anzoategui.
He continued the constructive vibe with an honest Spring Training, ending with .270/.325/.459 triple slash, not sufficient for warranting a spot on the Opening Day roster, after all, getting lower on March 12 and being reassigned to the Reno Aces.
In Reno he has a terrific exhibiting till the top of July, when he’s known as as much as the main leagues, with a .340/.442/.450 batting line and a Okay-BB of 51/58, getting appearances at 2B, SS and LF.
When the Diamondbacks make the Paul Sewald commerce and Josh Rojas and Dominic Canzone head to the Mariners, Castillo is named as much as the main league squad from Reno.
The Venezuelan is granted a pinch hit look in a recreation in opposition to the San Francisco Giants that goes 10 innings. It is on this tenth inning that Castillo is summoned to get a success, though within the earlier at bat Emmanuel Rivera has already introduced Jake McCarthy, the ghost runner, home. Castillo replaces catcher Jose Herrera and sees two sinkers earlier than flying out to proper discipline. After the highest of the tenth he’s changed by Carson Kelly and the next day is optioned again to Reno to finish the season there.
Maybe this would be the final time we are going to see him in Sedona Red, so take pleasure in:
2024 outlook
Diego Castillo is on the 40-man roster and would possibly make it by way of your complete low season. While we didn’t see a lot of him in 2023 and the 2022 season in Pittsburgh wasn’t spectacular, he did present why he could be an attention-grabbing utility participant on this roster.
The man has a superb arm and a few attention-grabbing reverse discipline hitting abilities, which certainly has some worth. Hazen has preferred these sort of gamers the previous couple of years (Yonny Hernandez, Ildemaro Vargas, Sergio Alcantará).
Take a have a look at his 2022 highlights and see for your self.
But finally, it’s all as much as Castillo himself. In 2022 he was a light-hitting Kevin Cron kinda man: good on the fastball, dangerous on anything. Maybe he is ready to work on that.
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