Pittsburgh Pirates: Three Players Left Off Roster Fans Will See

Utility Man Rodolfo Castro

This is one that is a bit more off the radar. Earlier in the offseason the Pittsburgh Pirates added utility prospect Rodolfo Castro to their 40-man roster in order to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft.

Had Castro not been added to the 40-man roster, odds are, he would have been selected in the Rule 5 Draft. While he has not played above the High-A level, Castro is a switch-hitting prospect with plus power potential. He can also play third base, shortstop, second base and the outfield. All of this adds up to making him an intriguing, valuable prospect.

Prior to being reassigned to the minor league portion of camp Castro accumulated 21 at-bats in 14 games this spring. While he had just three hits, two of them were a home run with the third being a hit giving him a .476 slugging percentage. His power potential was on full display this spring.

When the minor league season begins Castro will likely find himself with Double-A Altoona. If all goes according to plan, he will make it to Triple-A Indianapolis at some point this summer. This would put Castro in line for a potential promotion to the Majors this September.

Castro’s long-term role is likely as a utility bench player for the Pittsburgh Pirates. His role could be similar to the one Josh Harrison once played, just with more power. Do not be surprised if you see Castor begin to play this role for the Pirates at some point late in the 2021 season.