The hits keep on rolling as the Phillies add their 3rd waive claim to the roster in 3 days. This time it’s a pitcher that could flex between starting and relieving. RHP Max Castillo was claimed on waivers from the Boston Red Sox.
With the 40-man roster full, the Phillies designated Simon Muzziotti for assignment.
Who is new Phillies pitcher Max Castillo?
The 2nd Castillo on the waiver wire for the Phillies pitched for the Royals in limited action in 2023. In 20.1 IP, he was a perfectly average pitcher. His fastball sat just above 93 MPH while he had a 101 ERA+. He features a changeup that opponents hit just .125 against in 2023.
While he didn’t get a start in 2023, he did start 6 games in 2022 and 21 games in the minors. When he first came up with the Blue Jays, he posted a 3.05 ERA in 20.2 IP. Even through his first 2 starts as a Royal, he was at a 2.97 ERA. Disastrous starts against Seattle and Cleveland ballooned his ERA to 5.95 by the end of the season.
Based on the current 40-man roster construction, Castillo could be their 6th or 7th option as a starter, depending on a possible promotion for prospect MIck Able.
The casualty of the move is outfielder Simon Muzziotti. Muzziotti had been in the Phillies’ system since 2016 and got a brief promotion to the big leagues back in 2022. Muzziotti was having a fantastic season at Triple-A before the trade deadline with a .326/.387/.439 slash line. In the last 2 months of the season, however, he posted just a .613 OPS.
The move shows the Phillies aren’t particularly done this offseason even with a full 40-man roster. It does show that any future moves might be just to beef up the margins of the Phillies’ roster.
Photo by Andy Lewis/Icon Sportswire
