On Friday, the New York Mets made a minor trade, sending Diego Castillo to the Kansas City Royals. While the return is unknown, it’s presumed the Mets will be getting back cash. This move shouldn’t be more than a depth move, as Castillo has been sent to Triple-A Omaha. However, here’s why both teams agreed to do this.
Why did the Mets trade Diego Castillo to the Royals?
Castillo has not impressed in his short performance in Triple-A Syracuse. Through 13 games, he has a slashline of .167/.217/.262 with one home run and 5 RBIs. He’s also struck out ten times in 42 plate appearances, giving him a strikeout percentage of 24%.
Although it’s only a small sample size, the Mets have too many infielders to keep him around. On the big league roster, the Mets have a logjam. Alongside their regulars, they are constantly trying to get playing time for guys like Luisangel Acuna, Brett Baty, and Jeff McNeil. Former top prospect Ronny Mauricio is also getting ready to return to the majors.
That list does not even include depth pieces like Donovan Walton and Luke Ritter, as well as top prospects like Jett Williams and Jesus Baez. All of these options were ahead of Castillo on the depth chart, so there was no chance he could make a big league impact. There would have to be a ton of injuries for him to be considered.
The Royals, on the other hand, are thin when it comes to infield depth. Their regular second basemen, Michael Massey and Jonathan India, have struggled to start the year. This has led the Royals to call up Nick Loftin from Triple-A. Castillo will most likely just be Loftin’s replacement in Triple-A.
However, just because Castillo is seen as a depth piece does not mean he might not get a shot in the majors. He did his major league experience playing in 101, registering a slash line of .208/.257/.383 with 11 home runs and 31 RBIs. He’s also coming off a 2024 campaign in which he had a slash line of .261/.364/.397 with nine home runs and 54 RBIs between Triple-A and MLB.
Now, Castillo will have to prove that the start to 2025 was nothing more than a slump and not a sign of regression. However, with him only being 27 years old, it’s realistic to assume that he can be a solid MLB player—not an all-star by any stretch but someone who can be a solid option for a team off the bench.
