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Pittsburgh Pirates Prospects: Best Players Added Via International Free Agency

By Noah Wright

NEW YORK, NY - JULY 11: Rodolfo Castro #64 of the Pittsburgh Pirates gestures after he hit a home run against the New York Mets during the fifth inning of a game at Citi Field on July 11, 2021 in New York City. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - JULY 11: Rodolfo Castro #64 of the Pittsburgh Pirates gestures after he hit a home run against the New York Mets during the fifth inning of a game at Citi Field on July 11, 2021 in New York City. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images) /
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LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – AUGUST 17: Rodolfo Castro #64 of the Pittsburgh Pirates at bat against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the fourth inning at Dodger Stadium on August 17, 2021 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Michael Owens/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – AUGUST 17: Rodolfo Castro #64 of the Pittsburgh Pirates at bat against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the fourth inning at Dodger Stadium on August 17, 2021 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Michael Owens/Getty Images) /

Number 4 – infielder Rodolfo Castro

The Pittsburgh Pirates have an overabundance of middle infielders. There are about a dozen young infielders with plus potential in the Pirates’ minor league system. Obviously, Nick Gonzales, Liover Peguero, Oneil Cruz, and Ji-Hwan Bae are the highest-ranking ones. But don’t count out Rodolfo Castro as a potential long-term roster piece.

The Pittsburgh Pirates signed Castro out of the Dominican Republic on October 30th, 2015. Early in Castro’s career, he showed a solid ability to make contact and get on base at a solid rate. However, he didn’t show much power. In 2018, Castro started to see a rise in his power output and then hit 19 home runs in just 461 plate appearances while posting a .214 isolated slugging in 2019. However, this came with just a .242 batting average and sub-.300 OBP (.298).

Castro started the 2021 season at Double-A Altoona where he batted .300/.349/.527 with a .373 wOBA, and 133 wRC+. Castro got a call to the major leagues for about a month between late July and late August he continued to show that power potential. He blasted 5 home runs and had a .198 isolated slugging percentage. However, overall he only had a 75 wRC+ in a small number of plate appearances (93).

But when he was sent back to Double-A, Castro would go on to have a negative wRC+ during his time at Altoona. He did so poorly in his final handful of games that his 133 wRC+ dipped all the way to just 92 at Double-A. Regardless of that, Castro earned a late-September promotion to Triple-A where he only had 38 plate appearances, but 10 total hits including 7 extra-base hits (4 doubles, 3 home runs)

Castro has ample experience at both middle infield positions as well as third base. Castro will have a hard time pushing through in the major leagues as a regular for the Pirates at any of those positions with the aforementioned Gonzales at the keystone, Peguero, and Cruz as the team’s top shortstop prospects, and Ke’Bryan Hayes locked down at third base. But Castro can provide a solid holdover for Gonzales and Peguero. Plus he is athletic and fast enough to make a move to left field if need be.

Castro may find it hard to find regular playing time with the Pirates, but he’d make a fine utility man with some power, and maybe even a trade chip if the Pirates decide to go down that route. Next year will be his age-23 season. With limited time at Triple-A and struggles in the major leagues, he probably gets a bit more time at Indianapolis. However, I’d expect him to be in the Major Leagues serving in some capacity for the Pirates by even late May.

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