Rusney

Castillo

Castillo inked a minor league contract with the Nationals earlier this year, but was released before appearing in a game at Triple-A Rochester. The 34-year-old outfielder, who signed a massive seven-year, $72.5 million contract with the Red Sox back in 2014, spent the 2021 campaign with the Rakuten Golden Eagles of Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball. He last appeared in the majors back in 2016.

Among the highest-profile international free agent busts in recent memory after inking a lucrative seven-year, $72.5 million contract with the Red Sox back in 2014, Castillo spent the 2021 season with the Rakuten Golden Eagles of Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball. The 34-year-old Cuban native, who last appeared in the majors in 2016, will likely open the 2022 season at Triple-A Rochester as organizational outfield depth.

The 33-year-old was a massive disappointment for the Red Sox after signing a seven-year, $72.5 million contract in 2014 -- ultimately slashing .262/.301/.379 with seven homers and 35 RBI over 337 plate appearances in just 99 big league games. Castillo hasn’t played in a big league contest since 2016 and hit .278/.321/.448 with 17 homers and 64 RBI in 120 games at Triple-A Pawtucket in 2019. It’s unclear if he’ll attempt to use this opportunity as a springboard back to the big leagues, or if he plans to remain overseas.

One would think MLB could have stepped in here and made Castillo a free agent once the Red Sox wrote him off and sentenced him to spend the duration of his contract in Pawtucket for luxury tax purposes, but as these things tend to work, it would have taken the media to guilt them into it. Castillo is finally entering the last year of his seven-year, $72.5 million deal now. One can’t really blame for the Red Sox for their part in this, given the luxury tax ramifications of putting him back on the 40-man roster, but Castillo deserves the same chance of playing in the majors that every other minor leaguer gets, even if his contract ensures that no one need feel too sorry for him.

The malady appears to be relatively minor at this point. Castillo is no longer on the Red Sox’ 40-man roster and faces and uphill battle to see time in the majors again.

The 26-year-old Castillo still isn’t considered a free agent by MLB, so Colletti’s attendance was strictly informational. He’s expected to draw interest from more teams than the Dodgers when he is eligible to sign with a team. The Dodgers’ history of paying international free agents suggests they could be players for the infielder in the future if they like what they see.

Castillo, 26, still needs to be cleared by the United States Office of Foreign Assets Control before he can sign with anyone, but teams are still allowed to watch him work out. The Dodgers are another club that’s known to have scouted the outfielder. Castillo is a speedy center fielder that could blossom into a leadoff hitter.

Castillo is exempt from the international signing bonus pools because he’s played five seasons in Cuba’s Serie Nacional. Don’t expect the 5-foot-9, 185-pounder to sign immediately, however, because he needs to establish residency in another country before MLB will declare him a free agent and the U.S. government will clear him to sign. Castillo is one of the better base stealers in Cuba, according to Baseball America, and can also handle second and third base defensively. The high-energy player was suspended from Serie Nacional before he abandoned Cuba, likely because of previous plans to defect. Some scouts view him as a fourth outfielder, while others see an aggressive future spark plug in center.

Castillo will hold down a roster spot for a couple of days while Jackie Bradley, Jr. is away on paternity leave. He has struggled at the Triple-A level this year and can be ignored in fantasy leagues.

Castillo was placed on waivers by the Red Sox over the weekend and passed through unclaimed. The 28-year-old outfielder from Cuba has batted just .262/.301/.379 in 337 major league plate appearances since signing a $72.5 million contract with Boston in 2014. He’ll begin playing in games at Pawtucket this week.