Cubs to add Willi Castro to bench, taking advantage of Twins' sell-off: Sources

New York Times

4 days ago

In the past 10 years, Ben Zobrist, Marwin González and Chris Taylor have played the role of super utility players on World Series-winning teams. Willi Castro could now follow that model with Zobrist's Chicago Cubs.
The Minnesota Twins on Thursday continued their sell-off, trading Castro to the Cubs, sources told The Athletic. The return is not yet known.
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Castro is the fifth player traded by the Twins in the hours before the deadline and the seventh of the week. It's a fire sale that included the stunning deal sending Carlos Correa and cash to the Houston Astros for a prospect.
Since Monday's trade of Chris Paddack to Detroit, the Twins have also offloaded relievers Jhoan Duran (Philadelphia Phillies), Danny Coulombe (Texas Rangers) and Brock Stewart (Los Angeles Dodgers), and outfielder Harrison Bader (Philadelphia).
'Now no one wants to stay if they are selling like this,' one player said after news of Correa's trade back to Houston broke.
Castro, 28, has played six different positions while putting up above-average offensive numbers (103 OPS+) this season. He ranked No. 24 on The Athletic's Big Board of trade candidates and was one of the few everyday middle infielders who seemed readily available.
Castro provides the Cubs much-needed versatility on their bench. Given their remarkably healthy group of position players thus far, the Cubs haven't been forced to use that many backup plans. Without the August waiver period for trades, the Cubs wanted to get more coverage at multiple positions.
Though Matt Shaw has played well recently and proven himself as a plus defender, the third baseman has struggled offensively for most of his rookie season. Cubs manager Craig Counsell can also find matchups for Castro, a switch hitter.
Signed as minor-league depth in 2023, Castro revived his career with the Twins. He first made an impact with his speed and versatility, stealing 33 bases in 2023 while playing seven positions, including pitcher, for a division winner.
After winning over Twins manager Rocco Baldelli with his ability to play everywhere effectively, Castro became clutch. He earned a trip to the 2024 All-Star Game and was named the Twins' most valuable player, finishing with 31 doubles and 12 homers. Castro also made baseball history playing at least 25 games at five positions (second, shortstop, third, left and center). This season, he's played mostly second base and the outfield corners.
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Typically better hitting left-handed, Castro made big strides this season to tighten up his right-handed swing and as a result is raking against southpaws with an OPS over 100 points better than his career average. Castro isn't stealing as much, but he's upbeat, will play anywhere and can add a spark — the kind of player the Twins would have loved to extend if not for the uncertainty of their ownership situation.
Instead, Castro became trade fodder three months before reaching free agency.
(Photo of Willi Castro rounding the bases earlier this month: David Berding / Getty Images)