Remember when Rusney Castillo was supposed to be the next savior of the Boston Red Sox? Because not even Pepperidge Farm remembers that.
According to a report by Jon Heyman of Today’s Knuckleball on Sunday, the Red Sox have placed Castillo on outright waivers after optioning him to Triple-A Pawtucket on Saturday.
The 28-year-old outfielder signed with Boston on a seven-year, $72.5 million deal back in August 2014, the largest MLB contract ever for a Cuban defector. But Castillo was a colossal disappointment from the very start, batting just .262/.301/.379 with seven home runs and 35 RBIs in 99 games across three seasons in a Red Sox uniform.
Boston has been putting together a solid 2016 campaign thus far, currently sitting at 39-29 in possession of the first wild card spot and leading the American League in run differential (+83, per ESPN). Much of that success has been due to excellent outfield play, with the likes of Mookie Betts, Chris Young, and Jackie Bradley Jr. all enjoying strong years. As such, there hasn’t been much opportunity for Castillo to contribute, even despite injuries to fellow outfield platoon members Brock Holt and Blake Swihart.
Castillo still has good tools and upside and might otherwise have gotten another MLB team to roll the dice on him. But unfortunately for Castillo, Heyman also adds that any club that claims him would be on the hook for the remainder of his contract (some $43 million through 2019, not even including his $13.5 million player option for the 2020 season), which is quickly looking like one of the worst in all of baseball. It certainly doesn’t help that Castillo has looked like weasel spit during his time in the minors this year, and it’s worth wondering if this marks the end of the line for the Cuban in The Show.
Image Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
H/T Baseball Reddit
