4. OF Rusney Castillo – Boston Red Sox
Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports
Rusney Castillo — what’s not to like about him? His home ballpark loves right handed hitters. The Red Sox’s projected Opening Day lineup is not much short of resembling an All-Star team with its veterans (21 total ASG’s amongst starters), and the prospects are pretty highly touted.
Castillo is one of them. He may have also been a huge bargaining chip in bidding for Moncada’s services, as the fellow countryman could help greatly with getting the youngster accustomed to life in America.
Castillo’s sample size is far more limited than is Soler’s. At 27, he has not logged any innings or at-bats in the minors and only appeared in 10 games for the BoSox in 2014. He did hit very well though, going 12-for-36 with two home runs and three stolen bases.
Castillo’s biggest challenge is not falling victim to a platoon in the outfield. The Red Sox had a lot of depth there, with Hanley Ramirez, Shane Victorino, Allen Craig, Mookie Betts, Brock Holt, Daniel Nava and Jackie Bradley Jr all figuring to compete for a spot in spring training. Those are enough players to easily fill two outfields at the MLB level.
If Castillo can hold down center field at Fenway Park and get in 450-500 ABs, the sky could be the limit with his surroundings. It’s for this reason he’s a better bet at production than Yasmany Tomas, who will play in a much thiner lineup. His projected WAR for the upcoming schedule of games in 2015 is a modest 2.3.