A Well-Traveled Career
Yankees trade heist gets signed. Mets Sign Utility Infielder Diego Castillo, Who Shares a Unique Connection with Their Opening Day Starter
Yankees trade heist gets signed. The New York Mets have added some infield depth by signing utility infielder Diego Castillo (not to be confused with the right-handed reliever of the same name). Interestingly, Castillo has a notable history with the Mets’ Opening Day starter, Clay Holmes.
A Former Yankees Prospect with a Familiar Trade Connection
Castillo originally came up through the New York Yankees system before being traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates alongside Hoy Park at the 2021 trade deadline in exchange for Holmes. While Holmes developed into a two-time All-Star closer before signing with the Mets this offseason, Castillo and Park have yet to find sustained big-league success. Yankees trade heist gets signed.
In 2022, Castillo saw semi-regular playing time with the Pirates, appearing in 96 games and logging 283 plate appearances. However, his offensive performance was underwhelming, posting a .206/.251/.382 slash line with 11 home runs but a 26.5% strikeout rate and low 4.9% walk rate. On the bright side, he demonstrated some defensive versatility, playing all four infield positions and even logging time in right field.
A Well-Traveled Career
Since his stint with the Pirates, Castillo has struggled to stick with a team. After the 2022 season, he was traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks, where he played just one MLB game before bouncing between several organizations, including the Minnesota Twins, Philadelphia Phillies, Baltimore Orioles, and the Yankees. In fact, Castillo was part of six different organizations in 2024 alone.
Spending most of 2024 in Triple-A, Castillo put up a .261/.364/.397 slash line over 370 plate appearances, showing strong plate discipline (13.4% walk rate, 14.9% strikeout rate) but limited power (nine home runs, .136 ISO).
Castillo is a former Yankees prospect. He was used as part of the package that the Bombers sent to Pittsburgh in exchange for…..Clay Holmes. https://t.co/DekhPdas6a
— Matt Kardos (@mattkardos) March 20, 2025
What Castillo Brings to the Mets
Castillo is expected to start the season in Triple-A Syracuse as infield depth. The Mets’ current Triple-A options at second base and shortstop include Donovan Walton and Luis De Los Santos, while Luisangel Acuña is set to platoon with Brett Baty in the majors until Jeff McNeil returns from injury. With the Mets dealing with recent injuries in the infield, Castillo provides valuable insurance at multiple positions. Yankees trade heist gets signed.
