New York Mets trade minor league infielder to Royals

At the time of his signing, the Mets' infield situation was much cloudier. Utilityman Nick Madrigal underwent season-ending shoulder surgery early in camp, starting second baseman Jeff McNeil was set to begin the regular season on the injured list with an oblique strain, and No. 9 prospect Ronny Mauricio was not yet ready for game action after a lengthy knee rehab.

This situation allowed Luisangel Acuña and Brett Baty to start the season on the big league roster, while Castillo, in Triple-A, competed with Donovan Walton, Jared Young, and Luis De Los Santos to be the next man up in case of further injuries.

Acuña won NL Rookie of the Month honors for March/April , and shortly after Baty was sent down to accommodate McNeil's return, an injury to Jesse Winker opened the door for Baty’s return as a left-handed bench bat. Baty's strong defense and recent power surge have earned him more consistent playing time since.

Now, with Mauricio back in action for Triple-A Syracuse, a crowded infield depth chart has made Castillo expendable for New York. In 46 plate appearances with the Mets' affiliate, Castillo hit .167/.217/.262 with one home run and five RBIs.

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While Castillo is off to a slow start in a limited 2025 sample, he has a solid offensive track record in Triple-A. In 303 career games at the level, he has slashed .278/.386/.397 (.784 OPS) while playing all four infield spots and even spending time in the outfield corners.

The Royals recently recalled infielder Nick Loftin after parting ways with outfielder Hunter Renfroe, so Castillo may see more consistent playing time in Omaha.