The New York Yankees can’t afford to be losing bullpen arms this off-season, but free agent relief pitcher Miguel Castro elected to depart, signing with the Arizona Diamondbacks this week.
According to Robert Murray of Fansided, Castro has signed a deal with the Diamondbacks:
Free-agent reliever Miguel Castro and the Arizona Diamondbacks are in agreement on a one-year, $3.5 million contract, according to a source familiar with the situation.
Castro is coming off a polarizing season at 27 years old with the Yankees. He hosted a 4.03 ERA, 9.62 strikeouts per nine, and a 69.4% left-on-base rate over 29 innings.
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Unfortunately, injuries deteriorated his efficiency and forced him to miss a significant amount of time, but his velocity approach is attractive to some clubs.
The Yankees were never going to provide him with a $3.5 million deal as they turn their attention toward younger options like Ron Marinaccio and Greg Weissert. However, general manager Brian Cashman has already stated they’re interested in adding more bullpen support, whether that be through free agency or a trade.