Jason Castro
Position: C
Bats/Throws: L/R
Age: June 18, 1987 (32)
Traditional Stats:.232/.332/.435, 9 2B, 13 HR, 30 RBIs, 88 K; 275 PA
Advanced Stats: 103 wRC+, .328 wOBA, 1.6 fWAR, 6.1 FRAA
Catcher Jason Castro was selected by the Houston Astros with the 10th overall pick out of Stanford University back in the 2008 MLB Draft.
One year later, Castro participated in the 2009 Futures All-Star Game, where he threw out a runner and also hit a three-run home run at the plate. This helped him achieve the ranking of 53rd best prospect in baseball on Baseball America’s top 100 list heading into 2010.
That same year, Castro made his Major League debut on June 22, 2010, where he singled off San Francisco Giants pitcher and reigning Cy Young champ Tim Lincecum. Two days later, the catcher smacked his first career homer off Giants starter Matt Cain. He would finish his rookie year hitting .205/.286/.287 with two home runs and eight RBIs.
The following year in Spring Training, Castro suffered a torn ACL and damage to his meniscus while running to first base. Castro underwent surgery shortly after causing him to miss the entire 2011 season.
Castro returned in 2012 to play 87 games with the Astros slashing .257/.304/.401 with six homers and 29 RBI. He also was on the wrong-side of history this year grounding out to record the final out of Matt Cain’s perfect game on June 13, 2012. Ironically, this occurred almost exactly two years after hitting his first career home run off Cain.
In 2013, the former top prospect finally broke out. Castro was selected to his first All-Star game and set several Astros club records offensively with 18 home runs, a .485 slugging percentage, and 63 runs scored. Castro hit for a .276 average with a .350 on-base percentage and 56 RBIs, as well.
Not only did Castro have a successful season on the field, he also went back to school to finish up his undergraduate program to earn his bachelors degree from Stanford University in the 2013 off-season.
Following the 2016 season, the Minnesota Twins signed the veteran catcher to a substantial three-year $24.5 million contract. In his first season with his new club, Castro hit .242/.333/.388 with 10 home runs, 42 RBI, and a 94 wRC+ in 110 games. He also had an excellent year behind the plate with 10 defensive runs saved while framing 4.9 runs.
Unfortunately, year-two in Minnesota did not go as planned. On May 16, Castro suffered a torn meniscus for the second time in his career. Once again, he would have to undergo season-ending surgery to repair his knee.
Luckily, Castro was able to bounce back in the following season slashing .232/.332/.485 with a 103 wRC+, 13 homers, 30 RBI and a 1.6 fWar in 79 games. Castro showed off his defensive skills ranking 26th out of 113 catchers with 3.5 fielding runs above average.
Contract
Castro is coming off a three-year $24.5 million contract, where he made an average annual salary of $8.16 million. As he approaches his age-33-season, he will most likely not come close to earning that much per year given his age and position. Castro is expected to sign a short-term contract worth around $2-4 million per season.
Recommendation
Castro would be a solid backup catching upgrade to the majority of teams’ around the league. He could certainly benefit clubs looking for a defensive complement to their starter such as the Mets. He also provided value with his bat in 2019.
The Mets claim to be exploring the market for a backup catcher with solid defensive skills this off-season. Castro would likely be a cheap upgrade with more pop than Tomas Nido (four home runs, 14 RBI, .191/.231/.316) and the Mets should at least kick the tires on him this winter.
