Astros reach agreement with relievers Miguel Castrofirst reported by Jon Heyman of the New York Post. Ari Alexander of KPRC 2 noted that this is a minor league contract that includes a non-roster spring training invitation. Alexander said Castro is a client of Premier Talent Sports and Entertainment and will lock in a base salary of $1.50 if he makes an MLB roster.
Castro, who turned 30 last week, is aiming to make an MLB roster for the 11th consecutive year. The well-traveled right-hander has pitched for six different teams. Castro averaged a 4.20 ERA in nearly 500 MLB games. His ERA has generally been around 4.00, including a league-high 4.31 in 75 games with the Diamondbacks in 2023.
That didn’t work out well for Arizona. Shoulder inflammation put Castro on the injured list in mid-April. He was shelved until the All-Star break. Castro made 11 appearances, allowing nine runs in 13 2/3 innings. Arizona designated him at the trade deadline. They released him in early August. Castro spends the remainder of the season as a free agent.
Houston’s reliever group is small, which should give Castro a real chance to earn a roster spot outside of training camp. Josh Hader, Brian Abreu and (barring a late-offseason trade) Ryan Pressley will be on the backend. Tyler Scott There were no other options, and the pitch was good enough to lock down the relief effort down the middle. That leaves as many as four seats up for grabs. Even if the Astros bring in a veteran in a low-cost MLB deal, Castro could compete with him Sean Dubin, Forrest Whitley and Caleb Alter For low leverage work.
