Perhaps Philadelphia Phillies fans weren’t all aware of right-handed pitcher Eiberson Castellano, but he became quite an interesting prospect in their farm system at the end of last season.
Signed as an amateur free agent from Venezuela in 2018, Castellano was not ranked in the Phillies’ Top 30 prospects to begin the year. But he racked up 136 strikeouts in 103 2/3 innings with a 3.99 ERA split between High-A and Double-A. Per MLB.com, that earned him Phillies Minor League Pitcher of the Year honors.
However, after being selected by the Minnesota Twins in the major league phase of the Rule 5 Draft, Castellano spent the offseason as a Twin, then was returned to the Phillies on March 25 when he didn’t make Minnesota’s opening day roster. That may have set his season off on the wrong foot, and he never got close to making his major league debut.
Having struggled through this past season to the tune of a 6.44 ERA in 36 1/3 innings, Castellano decided at the end of the season to test the open market. Recently, he left the Phillies organization for the first time of his own accord.
According to the official transactions log on his MLB.com roster page, Castellano signed a minor-league contract with the Colorado Rockies. The deal occurred last Friday, but did not appear on the transactions log until at least Thursday.
The Rockies initially assigned Castellano to Triple-A Albuquerque upon his arrival in the organization, though they could reassign him later. The 24-year-old has not yet pitched above Double-A in his five minor-league seasons.
The arm talent is undeniable for Castellano, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Rockies give him a shot at the big leagues at some point this season. But pitching in Colorado is also notoriously difficult, so Castellano would have to come a long way with his command in a short time.
More MLB: Pete Alonso Sends Message to Mets Fans with Departure to Orioles Official