NEW YORK -- Lacking left-handed depth in their bullpen, the Mets on Thursday acquired José Castillo from the Diamondbacks for cash.
Castillo, 29, has held same-sided hitters to a .175/.273/.281 slash line over 45 big league games, in a career marred by multiple serious injuries (including Tommy John surgery in 2021). He’s made just eight appearances since 2018.
Primarily a sinker-slider pitcher, Castillo provides another experienced complement to Génesis Cabrera, currently the only lefty in New York's bullpen.
“It’s a good arm,” Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns said. “It’s been a good arm for a while. He’s just battled injuries for his entire career.”
At the outset of the season, the Mets hoped A.J. Minter and Danny Young would prove to be an effective left-handed combination in their bullpen. But Minter subsequently tore his left lat muscle and underwent season-ending surgery. Days later, Young sprained the ulnar collateral ligament in his left elbow and opted for Tommy John surgery.
That left the Mets with zero left-handed relievers. They may have found one solution in Cabrera, a veteran on a Minor League deal who’s off to a strong start with the Mets. But team officials wanted more depth to weather the long season.
One other in-house option, Anthony Gose, triggered the assignment clause on his Minor League contract on Friday, according to a source, giving him the right to shop his services to other teams. If a rival club is willing to put Gose on its active roster, the Mets would either need to trade him immediately or add him to their own roster instead. Gose, 34, has a 3.31 ERA at Triple-A Syracuse this season.