Cincinnati Reds: Luis Castillo a welcome surprise for a rebuilding club
By Tim Haberin
Luis Castillo turned in a gem in his likely final start of the year, completing what has been an eye-opening rookie campaign for the Cincinnati Reds righty.
The Cincinnati Reds didn’t exactly know what they were getting when they acquired pitcher Luis Castillo in an offseason trade. The right-hander was one of three prospects sent to Cincinnati from the Miami Marlins in exchange for starter Dan Straily.
While he had consistently put up good numbers in the minor leagues, Castillo was already something of a journeyman, having gone from the Giants to the Marlins to the Padres, then returned back to Miami in last season’s Colin Rea post-trade injury debacle.
Castillo made his major league debut on June 23 of this year, and over the course of 15 starts he’s given the Reds more than just the promising young starter they hoped they were getting: He’s looked like a burgeoning ace. In 89.1 innings of work, he boasts a 3.12 ERA, 1.08 WHIP and 3.06 K/BB ratio. Not bad for someone who was promoted directly from Double-A.
The 24-year-old made what was by all accounts his final outing of the season on Wednesday, and it would appear Castillo saved his best for last. The rookie righty tossed eight masterful frames against the Brewers, limiting the playoff contender to just one run (a first-inning solo homer by Neil Walker) on four hits while striking out a career-high 10 batters.
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According to Adam Baum of the Cincinnati Enquirer, Reds manager Bryan Price confirmed that Castillo would be shut down after throwing a combined 169.1 innings between the minors and majors this year. With the Reds not in any sort of postseason scenario, it makes sense to play it safe with a young arm that is suddenly very important to the organization.
Cincinnati will have something planned for Castillo for the final weeks of the regular season, but as of now they’re not quite sure what it might be:
"“He’s gonna stay with us,” said Price. “As far as the template for what we’re gonna do with him the last few weeks of the season, I can’t speak to that yet cause we haven’t defined it. I would say it’s unlikely that we’ll keep him throwing and utilize him out of the bullpen.”"
Castillo’s emergence is a gift to a Reds rotation that ranks last in the majors with a 5.68 ERA. He is the only pitcher on the club to make at least 10 starts this year with an ERA under 4.00. Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati is traditionally a hitter’s paradise, but Castillo has fared relatively well in his new digs, managing a 3.40 ERA in seven starts at home.
While his 3.72 FIP and .247 BABIP suggest he may have trouble replicating this year’s ERA over a full campaign, there’s still plenty to like about Castillo’s performance. He’s generated a 58.8 percent ground ball rate, which should play well at his home venue.
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The Reds probably aren’t losing sleep over Straily, who’s been just above average this season (103 ERA+). In Castillo they have a young potential building block under team control for significantly longer.