Yankees land strong-armed relief pitcher in rare trade with Mets

< p>Castro, 27, stands at 6’7″ and 205 pounds as a right-handed relief pitcher. Last season with the Mets, he made 69 appearances over 70.1 innings. He posted a 3.45 ERA with 9.85 strikeouts per nine and a 76.8% left on base rate. He also recorded a 52.3% ground ball percentage, 4.39 SIERA, and 4.48 xFIP.

Looking at Castro’s velocity, he hovers around 98 mph with his fastball, which he threw 42.1% of the time last year. He also mixes in a slider, throwing at 35.3% and change-up at 22.6%.

This is exactly the type of mid-inning relief pitcher the Yankees were looking for. He’s able to sustain high velocity, and with a bit more control, he could end up being a steal in exchange for Joely Rodriguez.

Rodriguez, who the Yankees acquired via trade from Texas last season, posted a 4.66 ERA over 52 games and 46.1 innings. His 58.4% ground-ball rate is solid, about 6% better than Castro‘s. However, his fastball velocity is 4 mph slower and similarly features a slider and changeup.

Overall, this seems to be a solid trade for the Yankees, given Castro’s experience and upside.