The Phillies have claimed infielder/outfielder Diego Castillo off waivers from the Yankees, per announcements from both clubs. The Yanks designated him for assignment a week ago. The Phils now have a full 40-man roster after this move.
Castillo, 26, spent 2023 with the Diamondbacks but has been on the roster carousel so far this year. Since the calendar flipped to 2024, he’s been claimed by the Mets, Yankees and now Phillies. That’s likely a reflection of the fact that he has some intriguing characteristics, enough to get claimed, but not enough to hold a roster spot.
He generally does a pretty good job of getting on base, but without much power. He also has a bit of speed, some defensive versatility and one option year remaining. With the Snakes in 2023, he only got into one major league game but took 556 plate appearances at the Triple-A level. He drew a walk in 17.4% of those and was only punched out at a 14.2% clip. He only hit three home runs in that time but his .313/.431/.410 batting line still amounted to a wRC+ of 117, even in the hitter-friendly environs of the Pacific Coast League.
He also stole 13 bases and bounced around the diamond, lining up at the three infield positions to the left of first base as well as left field. In past seasons, he’s played a bit of first base and right field, in addition to some brief mop-up duty on the mound.
For the Phils, Castillo can provide them with some depth all over the diamond, alongside other multi-positional guys like Kody Clemens, Rodolfo Castro and Weston Wilson. The major league bench projects to feature Garrett Stubbs as a backup catcher with players like Edmundo Sosa, Cristian Pache and Jake Cave filling out the final few spots. Those final three names are all out of options, which could give them a leg up in earning a roster spot to start the year.
But injuries will inevitably pop up throughout the season and perhaps open opportunities for Castillo or some of the club’s other depth players. But also, given the way this year is going for Castillo, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him back on the waiver wire shortly.
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