Left-handed pitcher Daniel Castano announced his retirement via a post on his personal Instagram account. “After 25 Baseball seasons, 9 years pro, 3 in college, 4 in HS, and 10 years of little league, I’m finally hanging up the cleats and for my more important career in life,” the post reads. “To be a loving Husband, father, friend, churchman and employee.” He goes on to thank the many people who helped him on his journey and mentions he will be pivoting to a role with Entrusted Contracting.
As Castano himself mentioned, his baseball journey had many stops. He pitched at Lake Travis High School in Austin, Texas, which then led him to Baylor University. He pitched three seasons for the Bears before the Cardinals selected him in the 19th round of the 2016 draft.
Just over a year later, Castano was flipped to the Marlins. Zac Gallen, Sandy Alcántara, Magneuris Sierra and Castano were sent to Miami in the December 2017 trade that sent Marcell Ozuna to St. Louis. Castano made it to the big leagues with the Fish in 2020, the first of four straight major league campaigns in which he appeared. He logged 88 2/3 frames over those four seasons, allowing 4.47 earned runs per nine. His 12.4% strikeout rate wasn’t especially strong but he limited walks to a 7.9% clip and kept 45.2% of balls in play on the ground.
The Marlins shuffled Castano on and off their roster in 2023 but he wasn’t holding a 40-man spot at the end of the season and became a free agent. In December, he landed a deal with the NC Dinos of the Korea Baseball Organization. He made 19 starts for the Dinos this year, posting a 4.35 ERA in 111 2/3 innings. At the end of July, the Dinos signed Eric Jokisch and bumped off Castano, as a KBO team can only have two non-Korean pitchers on its roster.
Now it seems Castano has decided it’s time to move on from baseball and move towards, as he puts it, his “more important career in life.” We at MLBTR salute him on carving out a big league career and we wish him the best for the upcoming chapters of his life.
Castano did pretty good in the KBO this year considering the league average ERA is nearly 5 and he also had 7.2 K/9 vs 2 BB/9. Wishing Daniel some good luck with his retirement
You made it to the highest level of baseball, you got a few good paychecks, you’ve done pretty well, sir. Good luck!
Dallas Keuchel signed with a Japanese team a couple weeks ago and havent seen anything on this site about it.
3 games 0-1. 17 ip, 14k 6 bb WHIP about 1.06 and a 2.12 ERA Not bad so far in NPB
29 year old lefty, stick with it. Your best is yet to come.
If his heart’s not in it anymore, then he’s doing the right thing.
Exiting with class. Good luck, Daniel.
Ten years of Little League?
Yeah; you can start Little League at 4 and age-out at 16. (Spent 3 years as a LL President here in NC).
Never played little league so I didn’t know you could play for that long. LOL
He made it to the show and has hos priorities straight. Good luck dude.
This is the first time I’ve heard of this guy. Guess that’s what happens when you play for the Marlins?
I wonder if Argentina will reach out again about Castano pitching for them in the WBC Qualifiers. His grandparents are Argentinian and he’d be a nice ringer for the qualifiers.
Never heard of you, but good luck in retirement Daniel. You deserve to sit back and enjoy the fruits of your labor!
Good luck Daniel, wish you every success in the next chapter of your life
Don’t mean to disparage him, but who?
No matter whether or not I’ve ever heard of him, he made it to the majors. Congrats! Best of luck in your next endeavor.
Every year there’s a slew of AAA cup of coffee guys you’ve never heard of who toss it in after a decade or so.
This guy gets a full page on MLBTR?
Well done young man , made it to the show , good luck in your future.