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Jason Castro Announces Retirement

By Darragh McDonald | December 2, 2022 at 5:20pm CDT

Catcher Jason Castro took to Twitter today to announce he is retiring from major league baseball. The veteran spent parts of 12 seasons in the big leagues with the Astros, Twins, Angels and Padres. “Over the last 15 years of pro ball, I have been blessed with many incredible opportunities and have met so many people along the way that helped me achieve more than I could have ever imagined,” Castro said, before going on to thank all of the people who supported him along the way.

Castro was selected by the Astros out of Stanford with the 10th overall pick in the 2008 draft. He was considered one of the top 100 prospects in the game by Baseball America in 2009 and 2010, making his MLB debut in the latter season. Prospect evaluations at that time spoke highly of his defense and approach at the plate but questioned whether he would provide much power in the big leagues. During Spring Training in 2011, he suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament and a damaged meniscus, leading to him missing that entire season.

Once recovered, Castro got things back on track in 2012 and truly established himself in 2013, with that now seeming like the best season of his career. An All-Star that year, he hit 18 home runs, a number he was never able to match again. His final batting line on the year was .276/.350/.485, good enough for a wRC+ of 129, indicating he was 29% better than the league average hitter. When combined with his strong defensive work, he was worth 3.9 wins above replacement in the eyes of FanGraphs, the highest such total he ever managed.

In subsequent seasons, Castro settled in as a bit of a defensive specialist but one that wouldn’t be disastrous at the plate. From 2014 to 2017, his wRC+ fell between 80 and 94 in each campaign, fairly average for a backstop. When combined with his solid glovework, he was worth between 2.1 and 2.8 fWAR in each of those four seasons.

Between 2016 and 2017, Castro signed a three-year, $24.5MM contract with the Twins. As mentioned, the first year of that deal saw Castro continue as a solid glove-first backstop. However, injuries took a toll from there on out. In May of 2018, he was diagnosed with a torn meniscus in his right knee and had to undergo season-ending surgery. Though he continued to be a competent major leaguer, 2017 was the last season in which he played more than 80 games.

After spending some time with the Angels and Padres, Castro returned to where it all began by signing a two-year deal with the Astros prior to 2021. In August of this year, he required season-ending knee surgery, meaning that he wasn’t active for the club’s World Series victory. Nonetheless, it was a nice finishing touch for Castro’s career. As he says at the end of his retirement announcement, “What a way to end it.”

Castro hangs up his spikes with 952 games played, 678 hits, 166 doubles, 9 triples, 97 home runs, 368 runs scored, 328 runs batted in and 15.2 fWAR. MLBTR commends him on a fine career and wishes him the best in his post-playing endeavors.

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View Comments (35)

Comments

  1. DarkSide830

    2 months ago

    I still find it curious that his name is Castro and he’s from Castro Valley

    Reply
    • cjb1125

      2 months ago

      And was drafted and most associated with the Astros.

      Reply
      • jonnyzuck

        2 months ago

        And he played C for the Astros

        Reply
  2. TrumboJumbo

    2 months ago

    51 mil in career earnings. Very nice!

    Reply
    • Bart Harley Jarvis

      2 months ago

      With all due respect TJ, you could earn $51m in today’s MLB.

      Reply
    • fre5hwind

      2 months ago

      Very memorable career.

      Reply
    • Yankee Clipper

      2 months ago

      Yeah, and his appearance on America’s Got Talent was incredible!

      Reply
  3. TheMan 3

    2 months ago

    who knew that striking out 151 times in a season could be so lucrative

    Reply
    • mlb1225

      2 months ago

      You can build an entire career out of being a decent defensive catcher. Just ask Jeff Mathis with his 17 year career and sub-.600 OPS.

      Reply
    • falconsball1993

      2 months ago

      Must not have checked his career stats

      Reply
  4. Bigkid

    2 months ago

    Padres legend

    Reply
  5. Bigkid

    2 months ago

    Loved him on American Idol

    Reply
  6. Mr_KLC

    2 months ago

    Time flies fast. I remember watching the game the day the Astros brought him up for his debut. That was back when Hunter Pence was the star of the club. Happy retirement!

    Reply
  7. Highest_IQ

    2 months ago

    He’s no Fidel but still one hell of a career.

    Reply
  8. Ben K

    2 months ago

    a cromulent career, especially for a catcher

    Reply
    • Bart Harley Jarvis

      2 months ago

      indubitably

      Reply
  9. thickiedon

    2 months ago

    He’s gotta have a great coaching job lined up.
    WS champ, Stanford grad, 12 year MLB catcher, bilingual… helluva resumè!

    Reply
    • toptimrubies

      2 months ago

      Absolutely.

      Reply
    • Dumpster Divin Theo

      2 months ago

      And one of the Cheatros. Manny happy returns

      Reply
      • toptimrubies

        2 months ago

        Time to move on. And I’m a Dodgers fan.

        Reply
      • Twoston

        2 months ago

        Do you know he wasn’t on the 2017 team? Or do you even care? Are you one of those fans that boo Astros players, call them cheaters etc. when they weren’t even in the organization that year?

        Reply
        • Dumpster Divin Theo

          2 months ago

          Yeah until they win their fifth consecutive title, four years from now. Fun that way

  10. EricTheBat

    2 months ago

    See you in Cooperstown, Jason

    Reply
    • TheDogDays

      2 months ago

      Lol why?

      Is that where his mail route is?

      Reply
  11. BenBenBen

    2 months ago

    Anyone think this guy has manager potential? I’m not basing that on anything. I kind of just assume that any catcher who sticks that long in the bigs is pretty well-respected, catchers make good managers because of their game-management skills, etc.

    Reply
    • TheDogDays

      2 months ago

      Of course, as long as he just agrees with everything a teams analytic department says when interviewing, he’s a shoe-in.

      Reply
      • EricTheBat

        2 months ago

        yeah id rather have a manager who goes with his gut

        Reply
        • BeansforJesus

          2 months ago

          Then hire those 1000lb sisters.

          ….(mom jokes)

        • SeeGilley

          2 months ago

          OH yea! Well yo momma squats for the Cubs.

        • BeansforJesus

          2 months ago

          Only in spring training.

  12. stroh

    2 months ago

    Solid defensive catcher, smart, played hard, and caught a lot of games. Also, a really good guy who will make a good coach/manager one day.

    Reply
  13. Dumpster Divin Theo

    2 months ago

    Soon to spend his days at rest and repose as part of a drum circle- comprised of aluminum waste cans. Godspeed sweet prince

    Reply
  14. coldgoldenfalstaff

    2 months ago

    Solid Astro, kinda bummed he had to go out with a knee injury.

    Reply
  15. LaBalaDePlata

    2 months ago

    I believe his last AB was a homer that got Verlander a win. Not a bad career for Castro.

    Reply
  16. angt222

    2 months ago

    Best of luck going forward. 4th MLB catcher to announce their retirement (Molina, Suzuki, Vogt).

    Reply

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