Inside The Mariners

Former Mariners' Reliever Hits Free Agency Once Again as Career Turbulence Continues

Diego Castillo was once a valued part of the Seattle Mariners' bullpen, but now he's struggling to hold down a job, once again hitting the free agent market.

Brady Farkas

Seattle Mariners relief pitcher Diego Castillo (63) pitches to the Los Angeles Angels during the seventh inning at T-Mobile Park in 2023.
Seattle Mariners relief pitcher Diego Castillo (63) pitches to the Los Angeles Angels during the seventh inning at T-Mobile Park in 2023. / Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports
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Reliever Diego Castillo was once a valued member of the Seattle Mariners' bullpen, but now he's struggling to hold down a job.

Castillo, who resurfaced with the Minnesota Twins at the end of May, has elected free agency once again. MLBTradeRumors first spotted his presence on the transaction log.

Castillo threw in five games for Minnesota, pitching to a 2.57 ERA over 7.0 innings. However, he walked seven batters and struck out just three.

The 30-year-old struggled in 2023 with the Mariners, pitching to a 6.23 ERA in just eight games. He elected free agency in the offseason and signed a deal with the Texas Rangers but never appeared in a game before linking up with Minnesota.

He began his career with the Rays in 2018 and stayed with Tampa Bay until being traded to Seattle in the 2021 season. He's registered ERAs of 3.18, 3.41, 1.66 (COVID 2020), 2.78 and 3.64 in his full seasons in the big leagues. He was also a big part of helping get the Mariners to the playoffs in 2022 and ending the drought.

Armed with a power sinker and a mid-90s fastball, Castillo also features a good slider. However, as MLBTradeRumors noted, his velocity has trended down because of shoulder issues.

Castillo was hobbled by a trio of shoulder injuries in recent years, which dropped his fastball from the upper 90s to an average of 94.2 mph in an ugly 8 2/3-inning run with the 2023 Mariners

Given his prior success and relative young age, it wouldn't be surprising to see him gain another chance in the big leagues.

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Brady Farkas

BRADY FARKAS

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