The Seattle Mariners received encouragement to move former All-Star Luis Castillo to the bullpen after recent struggles to begin the season. Despite his lofty salary ($24.15 million this season), rumors of Castillo’s status in the rotation continue to spin. He’s currently undergoing the worst season of his career, pitching with a 6.57 earned run average in 8 starts.
Bryce Miller nears an activation from the injured list. The Mariners slated him to pitch Wednesday’s game against the Houston Astros. Seattle stated they plan to use a six man rotation this week, but the plans for the rotation beyond this road trip still remain to be seen.
A good solution to the Mariners rotation question needs to materialize. The Mariners attempt to balance what appears best for their major league roster and what works within the team’s clubhouse.
Seattle Mariners Dipoto Against Luis Castillo Bullpen Move
GettySeattle Mariners President of Baseball Operations Jerry Dipoto sounded off against moving Castillo to the bullpen.
Seattle Mariners President of Baseball Operations Jerry Dipoto seems against the idea of moving Castillo to the bullpen.
He said, “If you go to the bullpen, you don’t maintain your pitch volume for very long. And that’s the worst thing that could happen to the depth of our starting rotation is taking one of our top six starting pitchers, send them to the bullpen, and then 10 days later, their pitch volume is no longer a factor.”
However, the argument against Dipoto’s remains that Castillo no longer pitches like a deserving member of the rotation. Castillo’s play actively hurts the Seattle Mariners as they currently sit at 20-22.
Bad luck explains some of Castillo’s results. His .364 batting average of balls in play and 4.55 fielding independent pitching illustrate the contrast between his skill and his results. Although, those numbers also fail to display the quality of pitcher Castillo showed in the past. They indicate a below average major league starter regardless of the unfortunate outcomes.
Moving Castillo to Bullpen Could Work
GettyDigging in deeper into Castillo’s numbers, his early inning results indicate a positive transition.
Paul Taylor of Seattle Mariner’s blog SodoMojo dug deep into Castillo’s pitching splits to imagine a transition to the bullpen. Taylor found that Castillo’s numbers early in his starts were excellent. In the first inning, Castillo pitches with a .401 OPS. In the first 25 pitches, Castillo pitches with a .661 OPS.
Additionally, Castillo’s velocity typically declines as he progresses through his start. In the first three innings, Castillo pitches with an average fastball velocity above 95 mph. That shifts to below 95 mph in innings 4-6.
Taking those numbers into account, moving Castillo to the bullpen seems like a sensical move. However, he may not love the idea of doing that, and Dipoto stated that he wants Castillo to maintain his volume.
There’s a lack of trade rumors around Castillo as well, and a move to the bullpen destroys that idea completely. Perhaps the Mariners want to keep that option on the table especially factoring in his salary. If they cannot move Castillo, then a move to the bullpen appears inevitable.
Seattle Mariners Luis Castillo Encouraged to Move to Bullpen