Blue Jays: Rodolfo Castro released, signs in Japan

In late November, the Blue Jays signed Castro to a minor league deal, meaning he never appeared in a game with the organization. That said, Castro does have big league experience, playing with both the Pittsburgh Pirates and Philadelphia Phillies, spending parts of three seasons in the big leagues.

In 2021, Castro hit five home runs in 93 plate appearances with the Pirates, but slashed just .198/.258/.395 for a 73 wRC+. His best season in the big leagues came in 2022, when he slashed .233/.299/.427 with 11 home runs in 278 plate appearances for a 100 wRC+ and a 0.9 fWAR. However, Castro regressed in 2023, as he slashed .228/.317/.355 with six home runs in 224 plate appearances with the Pirates. After the Phillies acquired him, at the 2023 trade deadline, Castro slashed .100/.156/.100 in 32 plate appearances with the Phillies.

All of his 2024 season was spent either on the injured list or with the Phillies’ Triple-A team, the Lehigh Valley IronPigs. When healthy, he slashed .235/.324/.421 with 19 home runs in 525 plate appearances for a 97 wRC+. It’s the first time the Jays have released a player since late September, as a whole bunch of lower-level players were cut.

Castro, a middle infielder, was seen as depth for the Jays in 2026. Lantigua is basically a direct replacement for the departing infielder, albeit with less power. Funnily enough, they were teammates with the Phillies’ Triple-A team, as Lantigua slashed .230/.356/.330 with seven home runs in 495 plate appearances last season.

Before that, Lantigua spent his entire career with the Blue Jays. His best season was in 2023, when he slashed .305/.425/.469 with 12 home runs in 578 plate appearances with the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons, before regressing in 2024. Lantigua, 27, is yet to make his big league debut.