Max Castillo, RHP
Max Castillo was among the many Phillies offseason moves to help bolster the organization's pitching depth, claimed off waivers from the Boston Red Sox. Castillo had shown some prior success in the majors, both as a starter and a reliever, in stints with the Toronto Blue Jays and Kansas City Royals over the past two seasons. In 21 career MLB games, he has posted a 5.43 ERA and 1.37 WHIP, with 47 strikeouts in 59 2/3 innings pitched.
In 2024, the Phillies have focused on utilizing Castillo mainly as a starter with the IronPigs, due to their lack of starting pitching depth. However, Castillo had struggled mightily out of the gate, pitching to a dismal 0-3 record with an 8.54 ERA and 1.90 WHIP, giving up 25 earned runs on 35 hits with 15 walks and 25 strikeouts in 26 1/3 innings of work.
As a result, he has seen time in the lower minor league levels with the FCL Phillies and is currently with the Double-A Reading Fightin Phils to work on his pitching mechanics and rediscover his form.
He has looked better as of late, yielding only one earned run in five innings with the Fightin Phils. But Castillo will definitely need more of that on a consistent basis if he intends to keep his spot on the Phillies 40-man roster as the trade deadline approaches. Otherwise, he could be moved aside for a more promising addition in the coming weeks.