Chicago White Sox should sign Jason Castro
The Chicago White Sox will likely have a backup catcher opening this offseason and they should try to sign Jason Castro to fill that spot.
Castro, 32, is entering free agency as his three-year, $24.5 million contract with the Minnesota Twins finishes up after the World Series.
In 2019, Castro hit .232/.332/.435 with 13 home runs and 30 RBI, serving as the backup to Mitch Garver. Castro’s stats were good for a 101 OPS+ and 0.7 bWAR.
The reason he should appeal to the Chicago White Sox, though, has more to do with his defense.
According to Baseball Prospectus, Castro ranked 16th out of 113 catchers in framing runs (6.1) and 26th in FRAA (3.5).
While James McCann did break out in 2019, defense is still an issue for the backstop as he ranked 107th in FRAA (-10.2) and 104th in framing runs (-8.0).
With McCann’s struggles defensively, the team should look to make sure that on days his bat isn’t in the lineup, that they are able to compensate that with a strong glove.
Castro possesses that and as a left-handed hitter, would appear to be a strong option to somewhat platoon with McCann.
And in case McCann regresses, having someone who was a starting catcher at one point like Castro was is valuable to have.
Assuming the team declines the $8 million option (Spotrac) on Welington Castillo‘s contract in favor of a $500,000 buyout, the team will almost certainly save money through this swap of backup catchers.
Castro is likely looking at a deal that gives him no more than $5 million per year this offseason at a max of two years.
Sure, the team could take their chances that Zack Collins as the backup catcher. However, given his .186/.307/.349 slash line in 27 games, they’d be taking a risk on him in 2020.
McCann’s previous track record and Collins’ inability to prove that he belongs in the majors so far should make the White Sox strong consider bringing someone that is capable of starting, if need be, behind the dish.
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The Chicago White Sox might not find a better value for their backup catcher than Jason Castro this offseason.