Philadelphia Phillies: 3 bargain free-agent infielders for bench depth

1. Willi Castro

The 25-year-old Willi Castro was recently released by the Detroit Tigers. Castro flashed on the scene in the 2020 pandemic-shortened season, hitting .349 with six home runs, 24 RBI and a 154 wRC+ in 140 plate appearances. However, he has failed to replicate that success since and was let go this offseason after hitting just .241 during the 2022 season.

So, what would Castro bring to a team like the defending National League champion Phillies? First off, he is not far removed from being a highly regarded prospect — just as was Brandon Marsh before Dombrowski acquired him from the Los Angeles Angels at the trade deadline. Castro was ranked as a Top-20 prospect in the Tigers organization before his breakout 2020 season. He is a switch-hitter who has the potential for above-average power.

While Castro has regressed as a defender, he does offer positional versatility. A career middle infielder, Castro expanded his repertoire to play all three outfield positions to get more playing time with the Tigers. He has above-average speed and is good for a few stolen bases a season.

FanGraphs projects Castro’s 2023 season to look similar to 2022: a .248 batting average, five home runs, and being worth 0.4 wins above replacement. He projects slightly better than what the Phillies got from Johan Camargo in 2022 — with more upside and for half the price. Castro made $700,000 last season and could likely be had for the same this offseason.

Do you want Castro as an everyday player on a World Series team? No. Would he be a potential upgrade on players like Camargo and be good competition for internal players like Nick Maton? Potentially. He may be worth a look at a cheap price tag.

2. Harold Castro

Okay, I didn’t sell you on Willi Castro? How about the other Castro that was non-tendered by the Detroit Tigers last week? Harold Castro is another middle infielder that has versatility all over. Harold has arguably a better bat than Willi, but is older and will cost slightly more.

Last season, Harold hit .271, with seven home runs and 47 RBI. He failed to steal a base and rarely walked. He was worth -0.4 WAR according to FanGraphs last season, so it’s easy to see why the Tigers moved on from him. Still, Castro presents a solid bench piece at a reasonable price for the Phillies.

According to FanGraphs, Castro projects to hit .271 again — with decent power and is slightly more valuable than a replacement player. Although he was versatile in many positions, his defense was subpar. He won’t improve any of the Phillies’ goals of improving their defense as a unit.

So. what would Castro provide? He is an established veteran utility player with a solid bat that provides versatility at several different positions. He is not a player that you are betting on their untapped potential. He’s a steady hand that would fit in quite nicely with the younger players throughout the Phillies infield.

3. Danny Mendick

Another option that could likely be had as a minor-league free agent is the productive shortstop Danny Mendick, formerly of the Chicago White Sox. In 31 games last season, Mendick hit .289 with an on-base percentage of .343 and three home runs in 106 plate appearances. His season ended when he tore his ACL, colliding with former Phillies outfielder Adam Haseley.

Mendick has been a valuable player to the White Sox, who used him to fill in for star shortstop Tim Anderson for stints and more than held his own. He’s a good hitter who can play several positions decently well.

Mendick would be an experienced and proven option in the infield that would come at an extremely cheap price tag. The Phillies could offer him a chance to rehab and he could be a fill-in for the major league club as well as needed depth for the Triple-A Lehigh Valley IronPigs.

This description from SB Nation’s South Side Sox describes Mendick’s 2022 season:

But 2022 was much better, his storied mindset and disciplined approach to the game finally seeming to pay off for real, especially after Tim Anderson went down with the groin injury in May and Mendick started to get consistent time at primarily one position … Mendick, who turned 29 in September, really seemed to be finding a groove since his return from the minors, and it surely would have been welcome consistency anywhere in that lineup in the second half.

Mendick would be a straight-up bargain for the Phillies and a chance to win on a bounce-back player. The Phillies haven’t had a ton of success with these types of players, but Mendick would improve the bench and provide versatility and insurance behind Stott and the team’s shortstop.