The Philadelphia Phillies are poised to acquire right-handed pitcher Max Castillo through the waiver process from the Boston Red Sox, according to a report by Matt Gelb of The Athletic. To make room for Castillo on the 40-man roster, outfielder Simon Muzziotti will be designated for assignment.
At 24 years old, Castillo will add valuable depth to the Phillies’ rotation. He has previous experience in the major leagues, having pitched for both the Toronto Blue Jays and the Kansas City Royals over the past two seasons. In a combined total of 59 2/3 innings, Castillo has posted a 5.43 ERA, a 18.1% strikeout rate, a 9.3% walk rate, and a 44.7% ground-ball rate. He was acquired by the Royals as part of a trade that sent Whit Merrifield to Toronto in 2022, and he was ranked as the 18th best prospect in the Royals’ farm system by Baseball America heading into the 2023 season. In his career, Castillo has pitched 136 1/3 innings between Triple-A (with a 4.58 ERA) and the major leagues (with a 4.43 ERA).
Stay tuned for further updates.