Willi Castro bidding war? Astros among interested teams, insider says

Willi Castro may be in his final days with the Twins, who have dropped six of nine games since the All-Star break to reinforce the notion that selling before Thursday's MLB trade deadline is the right move for a meandering Minnesota club.

According to Chandler Rome of The Athletic (subscription required), the Houston Astros have shown interest in both Arizona slugger Eugenio Suárez and Castro as they look to fill holes on a roster that has been ravaged by injuries.

"Suárez may be the sexier name," Rome says, "but Minnesota Twins utilityman Willi Castro is also of interest to the Astros and a far better fit for their roster."

Rome indicated that Castro be the subject of a bidding war, which would bode well for the Twins' hopes of getting something meaningful back for a player who will be a free agent after the season.

"Both Castro and Suárez are rentals being sought after by a bevy of contending teams, again inviting wonder if the Astros can win a bidding war against clubs with deeper farm systems," Rome wrote.

Castro, who was an All-Star in 2024, is slashing .254/.344/.425 (.769 OPS) with 10 homers, 15 doubles, 27 RBI and eight stolen bases. His on-base and slugging percentages are career bests since he became an everyday player in the big leagues in 2021.

Castro, quite literally, might be the most versatile player in the majors. He's a switch hitter and has played six defensive positions this season: 33 games at second base; 31 games at left field; 25 games at right field; 11 games at third base; five games at shortstop.

The MLB trade deadline strikes at 5 p.m. CT Thursday, July 31.

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