Sure, the name is very familiar with Marlins fans, but no, the team did not re-acquire the one-time second baseman of the Florida Marlins. No, THIS Luis Castillo was the second player minor league prospect involved in the recent trade between the Miami Marlins and the San Francisco Giants, that sent National League Comeback Player of the Year, Casey McGehee to the Bay Area, so recently acquired Martin Prado could slide in to the third base spot for the Fish.
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This Luis Castillo is a hard-throwing right-hander, who tends to walk a few more hitters than he should, and isn’t considered a top prospect by any stretch of the imagination on anyone’s lists of who’s who in minor league baseball. No, this 22-year-old relief pitcher aside from two seasons in the Dominican Summer League, has spent exactly one season above that level in professional baseball. In 2014, Castillo was in Augusta, where his K/9 was an eye-popping 10.8.
In 48 games, Castillo went 2-2, with an ERA of 3.07. Very respectable for a young hurler trying to make his way through the minors. Here’s what the Marlins might envision for the young Castillo: future closer material. His fastball reportedly comes in around 94 mph, and he recorded 10 saves last season. During his final year in the Dominican Summer League, he recorded 20 saves, a microscopic 0.64 ERA in 27 games. Yes, you read that right. 0.64 ERA. That is lights out stuff at the end of ballgames. Now before you scream “Trade Cishek”, it was only in the DSL, and he did walk more last season (25) than he allowed earned runs (20). His walks per 9 innings is 3.8, which is extremely high for a reliever, so that is something to keep an eye on as Castillo moves through the Marlins farm system. The last question about Castillo, will be his durability. The kid is 6’2″, and weighs only 170 lbs. Eat a burger young man, and welcome to the organization!