Here are today's minor moves and outright assignments from around the league…
- Troy Renck of the Denver Post reports that the Rockies have agreed to a minor league deal with right-hander Richard Castillo. A former Cardinals prospect, the 24-year-old Castillo split 2013 between St. Louis' Double-A and Triple-A affiliates, posting a combined 4.08 ERA with 5.3 K/9 and 3.2 BB/9 in 147 2/3 innings. Baseball America twice ranked him among the Cardinals' Top 30 prospects, but he has not cracked that list for the past four years.
- The Orioles announced that they've signed right-handed knuckleballers Eddie Gamboa and Zach Clark to minor league deals. Gamboa received an invitation to Major League Spring Training. The 29-year-old posted a 4.43 ERA with 7.2 K/9 and 3.7 BB/9 in 142 1/3 innings between Baltimore's Double-A and Triple-A affiliates in 2013. Clark, 30, made his big league debut in 2013, allowing three runs in 1 2/3 innings. He had a 7.84 ERA in 111 1/3 innings across four minor league levels last season.
- The Brewers released right-hander Nick Bucci, according to Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel (on Twitter). Formerly one of Milwaukee's top prospects, Bucci dealt with a shoulder injury this season and pitched just two-thirds of an inning this season. The injury-plagued 23-year-old has pitched just 43 1/3 innings over the past two seasons.
- The Padres have outrighted right-hander Adys Portillo to Double-A San Antonio, according to the team's transactions page. The 22-year-old was designated for assignment over the weekend to clear a 40-man roster spot for Joaquin Benoit. Portillo received a $2MM signing bonus in 2008 but has yet to provide the Friars with much of a return on that investment.
I think you meant AAA El Paso.
nope. he meant San Antonio, like the transaction page said.
It originally said AAA Tucson. Yeah, AA makes more sense.
Well this is some what good news for the Padres. Hopefully he can find some feel for pitching and still contribute, more than likely out of the pen at this point.
Phew….didnt think he’d make it through waivers. He’s got the arm. He just needs to find the control. You can’t teach 99 mph.
The Padres wasted a lot of loot signing Latin players in 2008. Makes you wonder how Randy Smith keeps his job.
Castillo doesn’t miss a lot of bats but always had a good ratio of ground balls to fly balls. He sort of got pushed aside with all the Cards good young pitchers.
Maybe Richard Castillo can turn into Adam Ottavino Part 2. He was a former prospect with the Cardinals that was waived and has become an above average reliever for the Rox.
I expect Bucci to be picked up soon.
Article should have mentioned that Gamboa and Clark are both transitioning to becoming full-time knuckleballers. It’s at least an interesting twist in the old “there go the O’s signing more minor league filler guys” story, and they were both with the organization for the last several seasons anyway.