The Rockies are a utility player Willi Castro have agreed to a two-year contract, ESPN’s Jorge Castillo reports. The ISE Baseball client will be guaranteed $12.8MM, reports Robert Murray of FanSided. Colorado has a full 40-man roster and will need to make a corresponding move to make this official official.
Castro, who turns 29 in April, recently completed a three-year run as one of the best multi-position players in the sport. That run ended in a big meltdown just before he hit free agency but he’s gotten himself a nice contract.
He was non-tendered by the Tigers after the 2022 season and joined the Twins on a minor league deal before the 2023 campaign. That minor league deal turned into a big win for Minnesota. Castro cracked the Opening Day roster in 2023 and went on to have a strong season, getting into 124 games and hitting 409 times. The switch-hitter launched nine home runs and drew walks at an 8.3% clip. His .257/.339/.411 batting line led to a 107 wRC+, indicating he was seven percent above average at the plate overall. He also stole 33 bases in 38 attempts.
Defensively, he bounced around the diamond, spending time at all three outfield positions and three infield positions to the left of first base. He got strong marks almost everywhere the twins were placed. He was even seen several times moping up on the mound. The package total added up to 2.5 wins over replacement per season, according to FanGraphs.
His 2024 season ended up being exactly the same. He slashed .247/.331/.385 with a 106 wRC+, swiped 14 bags and played every position except catcher and first base. His total fWAR increased to 2.9 with more playing time.
Last year, he was at the same level at the trade deadline. He appeared in 86 games for the Twins, had a .245 /.335 /.407 batting line, 109 wRC+, and nine stolen bases while moving around.
The Twins are out of the running and intend to sell at the deadline. They traded Castro to the Cubs for minor leaguers Ryan Gallagher again Sam Armstrong. Castro’s performance declined after the exchange. He hit .170/.245/.240 for a wRC+ of just 40. He wasn’t helped by a .222 batting average in balls in play but the Cubs pushed back his playing time regardless. He started just two of the final 11 games of the regular season. He appeared in two playoff games for the Cubs but without being sent to the plate.
That was bad timing, as Castro had just headed to the open market, but it was also only 110 plate appearances. It seemed likely that clubs would still value his versatility and focus more on good plans for a three-year run, looking to end badly. At the start of the offseason, MLBTR offered Castro a two-year, $14MM deal. In December, it was reported that Atlanta, Pittsburgh and Colorado are interested in Castro. The Rockies got him by giving him a solid two-year deal just under MLBTR projections.
The Rockies don’t have much certainty in their lineup, which is expected of a team that just lost 119 games, reaching the 100 mark in the loss column for the third year in a row. They tried to strengthen the roster last winter by signing veterans. They gave Thairo Estrada $4MM again Kyle Farmer $3.25MM, both on one-year deals. No one came out. Estrada was injured most of the year and hit just .253/.285/.370 in 39 games. Farmer avoided the injured list but posted a very unimpressive .227/.280/.365 slash line.
Ideally, Castro will move past his struggles with the Cubs and return to form. Where he plays will depend on what happens with the other young players on Colorado’s roster. Outdoor play time will probably be divided into some combinations Brenton Doyle, Jake McCarthy, Mickey Moniak again Jordan Beck.
Ezequiel Tovar it will be normal at shortstop but the entire infield is wide open. Adael Amador he may play second but he still has 164 plate appearances with a .176/.242/.250 line. The third principle Kyle Karros had 156 plate appearances last year but hit just .226/.308/.277. Tyler Freeman he’ll be in the middle somewhere as another multi-position guy but he’ll also be coming off a subseason. Ryan Ritter he can bounce back a bit but has a .241/.296/.337 line in his 207 big league games.
With the Rockies still far from contention, they will focus on development and will want to have playing time open to anyone on the team they lead. Castro will likely change positions throughout the year depending on the health and performance of all the other guys. If his offense returns to where it was during his time in Minnesota, then the Rockies will make him available for trade this summer, as he is likely to return to contention during this contract.
RosterResource now estimates the Rockies at $110MM in salary, assuming the money in the deal is spread evenly across the two years. They spent $124MM on the club last year and could still have some dry powder if they plan to spend the same amount this year. Earlier this month, general manager Josh Byrnes expressed a desire to add a few veterans to the game. They have signed Michael Lorenzen but you can still have a starting place for someone else. It is also possible to see the position of relief pitchers or perhaps another ball player.
For the clubs that missed out on Castro, the free agent market still features several other young men, including Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Ramón Urías, Adam Frazier, Enrique Hernández, Jon Berti, Jorge Mateo and others.
Photo courtesy of Jordan Godfree, Matt Blewett, Imagn Images
