The D-Backs are bringing again lefty reliever José Castillo on a minor league deal, reviews Daniel Álvarez-Montes of El Extrabase (X hyperlink). Castillo, a shopper of OL Baseball Group, will get a non-roster invite to MLB camp.
Castillo sticks within the group for a second season. He spent final yr with the Snakes’ high affiliate in Reno. He missed the primary half of the yr to harm and was restricted to 21 appearances. He tossed 20 2/3 innings of 4.35 ERA ball in a really powerful park for pitchers. Castillo fanned a good 24.4% of opponents in opposition to an 8.1% stroll fee. His fastball averaged 94.3 MPH, a tick beneath the extent he confirmed with the Padres in 2023.
That usually stable efficiency wasn’t sufficient to get an enormous league look with the Snakes a yr in the past. Nonetheless, Castillo sufficiently impressed the entrance workplace to get one other non-roster invite. Whereas he didn’t attain the majors final yr, he pitched in components of 4 seasons with San Diego. The Venezuelan-born southpaw has a 4.24 ERA in 40 1/3 large league innings.
A.J. Puk, Joe Mantiply and Kyle Nelson are the three lefty relievers on Arizona’s 40-man roster. Tommy Henry and Blake Walston might work in lengthy aid or as rotation depth. Puk will pitch in excessive leverage spots, whereas the soft-tossing Mantiply has been a gradual contributor within the center innings. Nelson missed virtually all of final season after present process surgical procedure to deal with thoracic outlet syndrome, so he might discover himself on the roster bubble in Spring Coaching. Andrew Saalfrank might be an choice halfway by means of the season. He’ll stay on the restricted checklist into June after being issued a one-year suspension for betting on MLB video games whereas he was within the low minors.
