The Nationals have a deal in place with backstop Welington Castillo, per reports from MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand (via Twitter) and Todd Dybas of NBC Sports Washington (via Twitter). He’ll be in big league camp this spring.
Castillo will join a catching mix that already includes two MLB fixtures in Kurt Suzuki and Yan Gomes, both of whom are playing on guaranteed contracts. The former has dealt with some health issues, but all indications are that the pairing will be available at the outset of the season.
Accordingly, Castillo will have a hard time cracking the Nats’ 26-man roster unless an injury arises or the club decides to carry three backstops. It’s certainly possible he could look to catch on elsewhere if he turns in a solid spring but can’t get a look in D.C. Alternatively, Castillo could end up as depth at Triple-A.
At times in his career, Castillo has been quite a strong offensive producer for a catcher. But he’s coming off of a suboptimal 2019 season (.209/.267/.417) after sitting out for a big chunk of the prior campaign owing to a PED suspension. Through 2,701 career plate appearances over the past decade, Castillo carries a .254/.313/.426 batting line.
Castillo’s reputation isn’t quite as good on the other side of the action. Outside of an outlying 2017 season, he has mostly rated as a poor framer. Castillo has typically graded well as a blocker and thrower, but nosedived in both areas (the former, especially) in that rough 2019 showing.
With this sleeper move, the gnats are destined to repeat the wild card.
I’ll certainly take another wild card if it leads to another world series title.
That’s cool, cause the other time we were the wild card, we won the World Series
Lol. Nice
Who’s we. Are you Adam Eaton?
Ooooh what a big man.
Why
And yet, another capable starting catcher, not signed by the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Starting catcher? Yes. Capable? Well that’s a different story my friend.
As a Rockies fan, just allow me to say join the club. The two catchers we have signed are a reject from the Pirates and a guy with a negative 3.2 career WAR.
What’s wrong with giving the one we have a chance?
I like Stallings as a backup or a platoon option right now. There are proven catchers out there and possible rebound candidates that could be flipped at the deadline, like Beef, and many others, should they perform well. At that point, you move Stallings to a full time role and let him prove himself as a starter.
Just my opinion. Beef could always hit very well for a catcher. I know his defense isn’t the greatest but it might have been worth the flier. The frustration I have, I guess, stems from watching numerous affordable catching options sign with other teams as backups when they could clearly start for the Pirates. And that comes from having created a reputation as a poorly run organization that is the opposite of player central.
You can be a small market club, still take chances here and there, think baseball first, and still make money…by not being completely moronic with your decisions.
The ethics of this should be fielding the best capable 26 players in every organization. We all know that doesn’t happen already because of service time and super 2 situations and the business of baseball. But teams like the Pirates could at least make a stronger effort at not fielding, what feels like, a quad A roster when other teams triple A rosters could probably beat them.
I’m perfectly fine with rolling out Jacob Stallings right now. The guy had 13 DRS, caught 40% of the runners trying to steal on him, and was one of the best pitch framers in the MLB. If he can do that and bat .260, that’s all good with me.
Stallings was awful against RHP. As a platoon piece, perhaps, but not as the starter. He’s also 30 so he’s no prospect worth waiting sticking with. He may be a better option than Castillo or Diaz but he isn’t a good option.
I’m definitely not mad at Stallings. And that’s where I need to be mindful of my own comments of frustration within the organization. It’s not his fault the organization is so cheap they couldn’t warrant spending 1-7million on a veteran catcher/leader to guide and grow our young pitching staff and lead the young squad. Or someone who could potentially become a deadline trade candidate for a contender who ends up needing help behind the dish.
There were many options out there this year.
Castro (I mean, c’mon), Weiters, Chirinos, Maldonado, Romine, etc.
Bring back Hal King!
Movie man Castillo stinks so why would Pirates want him?
Beef!!!
Better than Pork
Hormone treated beef. Should’ve gone organic.
good depth in case something happens to Kurt or Yan.
Concern about Zuks health..?
Concerns about everybody’s health!
Respect to carrying 3 catchers if they do. That’s the one spot teams really shouldn’t be overplaying guys. It’s the NL, so he will probably be pinch hitting every game he doesn’t start anyway, and catching in blowouts early – when you don’t want to be playing your primary guy..
And remember the 26 man roster
He’s still playing? I thought he had been long since retired like 5 years ago
Yea aside from a season by the Chesapeake, he has been mostly Midwest his whole career their was that brief stint with the Diamondbacks too which would explain why you never saw him on this coast…
He is basically depth and insurance at AAA anything beyond that with the Nats requires him to show some gumpshuin… or at least some offense.
Guess this means they’re out on Donaldson.
The Nats did name Beltran their MiLB roving ethics instructor but it didn’t get a write-up.
I knew about his dback stint. At his Wrigley return on the throw back he hit Rizzo in the head. He gave him a friendly push
Will miss him on the White Sox, but I genuinely cannot complain about our current catching staff. Beef’s temperment may run hot at times, but he’s a great smile and a fun guy to have around.
Guy was almost completely useless, especially due to the ped suspension he missed a good amount of games.
He had some good years offensively with Arizona and Baltimore but was never the same player following the PED suspension.
He was on PED’s during the good years