We’ve spent much of the 2016 Red Sox season talking about their need to address pitching before the trade deadline. That hasn’t changed. Boston is still going to be aggressively looking for starting and relief pitching help between now and July 31.
They also may be looking quietly for a little more outfield depth. Chris Young has become the everyday left fielder in the wake of injuries to Brock Holt and Blake Swihart. Young has answered the call, and has hit safely in 20 of the last 22 games. He was signed this offseason to play against lefties, and has hit southpaws to the tune of .400. He’s been surprisingly good against right-handers, hitting four of his six home runs against them.
Rusney Castillo was supposed to be part of that outfield mix. The Red Sox spent $72.5 million to sign him, and now his future with the organization is very much in doubt.
The Sox have tried just about anyone but Castillo in left field this season. Holt, expected to be a super utility player this season, won the primary left-field job out of spring training. He’s been on the disabled list for more than a month with a concussion.
Swihart, a catcher for the vast majority of his pro career, was called up from Pawtucket to replace Holt. This was another clear sign that the Sox were moving on from Castillo. Castillo didn’t return to the club until Swihart (ankle sprain) joined Holt on the DL.
That return was short-lived. This weekend, Castillo was replaced by Ryan LaMarre, another right-handed hitting outfielder. Soon came reports that Castillo had been placed on waivers, exposing him to any team and removing him from the Red Sox 40-man roster.
It’s hard to imagine any team plucking Castillo – and the millions remaining on his contract – off the waiver wire. He’ll most likely wind up like Allen Craig, a high-priced minor leaguer no longer in Boston’s future plans.
LaMarre, hitting .313 in Pawtucket this season, will have to bide his time on the Sox bench as Young, Jackie Bradley, Jr. and Mookie Betts play the outfield on a near-daily basis. He was just happy to be getting a chance with the big club, with his father beaming in the Fenway seats on Father’s Day.
His stay may not last long, with Holt progressing through baseball’s concussion protocol.
For now, the Sox are short a left-handed hitting outfield option off the bench – at least until Holt or Swihart returns. They will keep an eye out for an outfielder who hits from the left side. It won’t surpass the need for pitching help, but President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski and General Manager Mike Hazen will do whatever they can to help the team’s chances this year.
We’ve said time and again that Dombrowski has empowered Manager John Farrell to make roster moves based on what it means to the 2016 team. Personnel moves at 4 Yawkey Way aren’t being made based on a player’s financial or contract status. Castillo’s demotion is another reminder of that.
Thanks in large part to that sense of urgency, the Sox begin the summer just one game out of first place. There are big moves coming as the team looks to bolster an inconsistent pitching staff.
And there also will be small moves that don’t make headlines but help a contender become a championship team.
Tom Caron is a studio host for the Red Sox broadcast on NESN. His column appears in the Portland Press Herald on Tuesdays.
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