It’s a full house down there at the bottom of the roster churn…phillies

Imagine the day when the Phillies making news by adding a player with a .205/.250/.380 career line in over 280 plate appearances qualified as somewhat major news. Here in the slog that is the week before spring training, it qualifies as exactly that.

Yessir, we’ve really hit the big time now.

Castillo is known for anything but hitting, having played five defensive positions with the Pirates in 2022 and even getting to pitch a bit for Pittsburgh, getting to face Handsome Dave Robertson.

Without looking, do you think Castillo has a minor league option left?

You betcha he does.

Continuing their team of grabbing light hitting, yet defensive versatile players that once played in Pittsburgh, the Phillies added a bit of depth to their minor league organization at the upper level minors in Castillo. If you’re looking for some silver lining to the team adding him, it’s that he hit quite well in 2023 in Reno, the Diamondbacks AAA affiliate, putting up a .313/.431/.410 line in 556 plate appearances there (though the hitting environment must be taken into account). He’s been on several teams already this offseason thanks to the waivers process, but for now, he’ll have somewhere to go once spring training does commence.

Still, it can’t hurt to stash him in Lehigh Valley in case something happens to a player on the roster. It beats rushing up a minor leaguer that isn’t ready for the big time.