*This is a prediction*
At 28 years old, Willi Castro should be an appealing option to a number of MLB teams, including the San Diego Padres. Despite a rough 2025 campaign, Castro should still have a solid free agent market due to his 2024 season.
In the past, we’ve explored the possibility of Castro heading to the Houston Astros, and that fit would still make sense. However, today we’ll be breaking down another landing spot, which is the Padres.
With that being said, there’s no guarantee that Castro is even going to be a starter at this point. Regardless, Castro can play a number of positions, and the hope is that you’ll be getting the player that you saw in 2024, not 2025.
More MLB Content From TWSN:
Kazuma Okamoto Signs With the Toronto Blue Jays
Bryce Harper Traded to Chicago Cubs in Huge MLB Trade Pitch
Tarik Skubal Will Be Traded to the Houston Astros
Willi Castro Joining San Diego Padres in MLB Free Agency
In 2024, things were going great for Castro as he made his first and only All-Star game with the Minnesota Twins. Castro had a .247 batting average, a .331 OBP, 12 home runs, and 1.6 WAR.
Those numbers would see a sharp decline in 2025 as Castro had a .226 batting average, .313 OBP, 11 home runs, and -0.2 WAR.
It’s also important to note that Castro was traded to the Chicago Cubs, and he played 34 games with them. During that span, Castro had a .170 batting average, .245 OBP, one home run, and -0.5 WAR.
With that being the last impression most people have of Castro, it’s understandable why he’s not being talked about very much right now.
How Willi Castro Fits in San Diego
With how Castro ended his time in Chicago, it’s hard to say he absolutely deserves a starting spot. However, at least with the Padres, there’s a path for him to become a starter.
Right now, per Fangraphs, Tirso Ornelas is projected to be the team’s designated hitter. While Ornelas has a good chance of becoming the starter, given that he’s only 25 years old, that’s not a guarantee.
Ornelas has 14 at-bats with a .71 batting average and .188 OBP. Although this is a small sample size, Ornelas could benefit from more time in the minor leagues.
If that were the case, then Castro could step in very nicely. If Castro can get at least close to his 2024 production, that would be a great pickup for this organization.
Outside of that, Castro would fit well on the Padres roster, who are looking to get over that hump and make a deep playoff push. After winning 90 games last year, the Padres could use some more depth and upside off their bench or near the end of their lineup.
After breaking down the Astros and now Padres, the more logical landing spot for Castro actually seems like San Diego.
Willi Castro Contract
When looking at what kind of contract Castro could receive, here’s what Kiley McDaniel of ESPN wrote in his free agency article.
“Projected contract: two years, $14 million ($7M AAV)”
At this point, that seems extremely accurate for Castro, given what his career has looked like up to this point. If that really is what Castro is going to cost, it would make a ton of sense for the Padres to bring him in at that cost.
For both the San Diego Padres and Willi Castro, finding a deal that makes sense within reason could be extremely beneficial.