"He saw big league action for four different teams (the Diamondbacks, Mets, Mariners, and Orioles) while compiling a 3.94 ERA over 32 innings. Beginning the season on a minor league deal with Arizona, Castillo was designated for assignment in May and then traded to the Mets, and he subsequently bounced around on a series of waiver claims. Castillo actually had three separate stints with the Mets, with the latest coming in early November when he was claimed off Baltimore's waiver wire."
"Castillo is out of minor league options, making him a necessary DFA candidate whenever a team wants to move him off its active roster. He would probably be facing another round of designations, outright assignments, and waiver wire visits if he'd signed a minor league deal with a Major League team this winter, so it perhaps isn't surprising that Castillo has opted for the relatively security (and a guaranteed salary) of this deal with the Marines."
"Though Castillo has pitched in parts of five MLB seasons, that resume consists of his 32 innings in 2025, 38 1/3 innings with the Padres in his 2018 rookie season, and just two innings spread over a single game with the Padres in each of the 2019, 2022, and 2023 campaigns. Multiple injuries (including a Tommy John surgery) shelved Castillo for almost the entirety of the 2019-21 seasons, and he pitched primarily in the minors with the Padres, Marlins, and Diamondbacks from 2022-24."
Jose Castillo signed with the Chiba Lotte Marines of Nippon Professional Baseball after the Mets non-tendered him. He compiled a 3.94 ERA over 32 innings while appearing for four MLB clubs in 2025 and began the year on a minor league deal with Arizona before becoming a frequent waiver claim. Castillo is out of minor league options, which would likely have led to more designations and waiver moves on a U.S. minor league contract. The move to Japan provides roster stability and a guaranteed salary. Castillo’s career includes injuries, Tommy John surgery, and mixed major- and minor-league service.
Read at MLB Trade Rumors
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