4 Phillies players on the 40-man roster who won’t survive the 2024 season
By Edward Eng
Rodolfo Castro
The Phillies acquired Rodolfo Castro at the Trade Deadline last season in exchange for pitcher Bailey Falter. At the time, he appeared to be an ideal replacement for utilityman Josh Harrison, who was designated for assignment right around the same time. However, Castro provided minimal impact for the ballclub, getting into just 14 games of action while batting .100 with a .256 OPS, along with two runs scored, two RBI, two walks, and 12 strikeouts.
This spring, Castro has done a little better, posting a .267 average and .646 OPS, with four runs scored, two doubles, and three RBI, but with a whopping 10 strikeouts in just 30 at-bats. However, in the battle for a bench spot, all of his main competitors in the positions that he plays are having a strong spring thus far. Kody Clemens is hitting a torrid .393 with a 1.271 OPS, and newcomer Whit Merrifield batting a stellar .379 with a 1.172 OPS. Even non-roster invitee Scott Kingery, who is trying to revive his MLB career, has been off to a solid spring start with a .250 batting average, .973 OPS, two home runs, three RBI, and three stolen bases.
With a career average of just .219 and a career OPS of .672, Castro will need to make himself stand out more to show the Phillies the potential value he could provide the club if he wants to maintain a spot on the 40-man roster for the entirety of the season. Otherwise, with plenty of other options available, he could soon be squeezed out and left roleless.