The Phillies and Pirates are nearing a swap of left-hander Bailey Falter and infielder Rodolfo Castro, reports Jayson Stark of The Athletic (Twitter link). The deal has been agreed upon, pending medical reviews, tweets Alex Coffey of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Falter, who turned 26 earlier this season, will give the Pirates an immediate option in the rotation. He’s struggled in 2023, logging a 5.13 ERA in 40 1/3 frames, but is only a season removed from 84 innings of 3.86 ball over the life of 20 appearances (16 of them starts) with Philadelphia. Though Falter has struggled both in the Majors and in Triple-A this season, he’s generally pitched with excellent command (career 4.7% walk rate in MLB, 7.3% in Triple-A). He’s not a hard-thrower, but Falter has still missed bats in the upper minors and can be controlled for an additional five years via arbitration.
Falter is in the last of his three option years. He can be shuttled between Triple-A Indianapolis and Pittsburgh for the remainder of the current season, but the Bucs will need to keep him on the Opening Day roster in 2024 or else designate him for assignment and risk exposing him to waivers. Today’s trade of Rich Hill to the Padres and injuries to others (e.g. JT Brubaker, Vince Velasquez) have created enough uncertainty in the Pittsburgh rotation that there ought to be room for Falter to have a trial run in the season’s final two months. Pittsburgh’s starting staff currently includes Mitch Keller, Johan Oviedo and rookies Quinn Priester and Osvaldo Bido.
As for the Phillies, they’ll add a switch-hitter with experience at three infield spots. Much like Falter, Castro is in his final option season, potentially has five years of club control remaining, and is struggling in 2023 after a solid showing in 2022. Last year saw the 24-year-old turn in a .233/.299/.427 batting line (103 wRC+) with 11 home runs and seven doubles in 278 plate appearances. That’s not exactly standout production, but Castro drew solid defensive grades at the hot corner and looked like a potential utilityman moving forward, at the very least.
Castro got out to a huge start in 2023, batting .286/.378/.468 through the end of April, but his bat has cratered. Since May 1, he’s hitting just .192/.271/.283 with three homers, two doubles and a 30.1% strikeout rate in 133 plate appearances. He’s drawn nice grades for his defense a second base this season but lesser reviews for his work at third base and shortstop. On the whole, Castro is a switch-hitter with a bit of pop who can perhaps be relied upon at second or third base but is more of an in-a-pinch option at shortstop.
The Phillies were known to be looking for right-handed bats, and while Castro likely wasn’t on many (or any) radars in that regard, he does fill the need. The switch-hitter touts a career .277/.341/.559 line as a right-handed hitter (just .193/.272/.293 as a lefty) and is hitting .290/.368/.538 from the right side of the dish this season.
It’s an interesting swap of a pair of young change-of-scenery candidates. The Phillies, having acquired Michael Lorenzen to pair with Aaron Nola, Zack Wheeler, Taijuan Walker and Ranger Suarez, didn’t have any immediate need in the rotation for Falter, who’s also been passed on the depth chart by Cristopher Sanchez. The Pirates, meanwhile, now have Liover Peguero, Nick Gonzales and Alika Williams in the infield mix alongside injured hopeful cornerstones Ke’Bryan Hayes and Oneil Cruz. There wasn’t a clear long-term role for Castro. It’s something of a “challenge” trade for a back-end starter and potential role player, beefing up depth for each organization in potential areas of need.
Yeah but why
I came to ask the same thing, we have plenty of light hitting infield options.
This could be the end of Josh Harrison
Harrison already gone I believe I seen.
Not a light hitter. 900 ops vs lhp. Might have fallen as he slumped. Lots of power potential. Awful vs rhp. Probably should give up pinch hitting or maybe they have a answer.
Von-I think his poor pitching earlier this year when the Phillies needed him and the fact that he will be out of options.
Castro can platoon at second base fairly well,and it does give them another right hand hitter.
The Pirates’ backup plan was to ask you to pitch for them as they had absolutely no one else to start.
Platoon with who? Bryson Stott, their best hitter?
Maybe they figured he was a replacement for Lee so it worked out a pitcher and infielder for the same.
Pirates need SP…Phils getting ready to move Abel/McGarry to LHV Rotation to replace him…Castro hits lefties…Plus if something happens to Stott, Kingery isn’t on the 40 man roster and Harrison is on his way out…Just a move of some convenience for both clubs
Somewhere, TheMan3 is having a cold beer and thanking the baseball gods
I don’t drink alcohol, cornwhisperer but I do participate in medical marijuana use
Still it’s a worthy cause for celebration. If only Shelton and Haines would have been included in the trade
@theman hedges needs to be included
Hedges was traded to the Rangers earlier
@theman time to celebrate! Next up, firing of Haines and then we are going to party like Hippies at Sturges or Blue Heron Festival. Bongs and a good trip
I’m all for partying like it’s 1999 but I don’t smoke pot, I bake very potent brownies, due to substituting vegetable oil for liquid cannabis
When the day arrives that Haines has been fired I might need to break down and drink a beer
we getting fidel too?
Rumor has is Castro found out he’d been traded scrolling Twitter while on second base.
Latest updates say his phone fell out of his pocket onto the field en route to Philly
Castro hasn’t made it past home plate so he couldn’t have been looking at his phone.
Put your pens down time is up
For the Phillies, I mean, giving up Falter, who did not do well in MLB or in AAA for Rodolfo Castro who’s still young and could do well with K-Long (please do well) is alright, plus he’s better than J-Hay
J Hay has the right attitude, Castro does not. Maybe he’ll straighten out.
Castro makes a lot of mistakes. Looks like he should be a good defender but hasn’t been. Best at 2b. Completely useless vs rhp. But pirates hitting development can be out coached.
Dream-The Pirates resemble your last statement.
Alas, Farewell Falter. Wouldn’t have guessed this 12 months ago
Castro was expendable with the current glut of infielders in the organization. He is also a defensive liability and can only hit southpaws effectively
just what we need on the phillies!
That’s an interesting buzzer beater deadline trade. I didn’t expect the Pirates to give up on Castro so quickly. He’ll probably do better in Philly given the ballpark. Still hits against LHP well and can play a competent second base.
He committed 8 errors at second base in limited action, 2 at 3rd and 1 at shortstop
He often had problems transferring the ball to his hand to throw
Exactly what the fundamentally poor Phillies need.
He was terrible as a shortstop, but I think his defense at second base was fine. Not a Gold Glove winner, but will easily get by at the position. Plus, from the ones I remember, the errors were more of a ‘scorekeeper’s error’ (more of a judgement call on the scorekeeper) rather than clear and ovbious bad ones.
“8 errors? That’s nothing. It’s just part of the game!” – Aaron Boone
I think they were pleased enough with the rookies that he was the odd man out.
Phillies did nothing to address their struggling offense, but to be fair, Trea Turner was supposed to know how to play baseball. If he continues to stink, I think their playoff hopes are in trouble.
Thought they wanted a outfielder so Kyle could dh. Couldn’t find a single one or they don’t need any or Harper stinks at 1b? He looked good enough to me in limited viewing.
I was surprised that the Phillies did not want Joe who,like Castro,hits lefthanders well but can play the outfield.
As for Harper,he has done fine with a lot of training at first base but one cannot learn a position in one month,even first base which is a lot harder than many think.
What realistically was a single bat going to do though? Phillies need Kyle, Nick, Trea, JT, and Harper to start hitting. Getting a Pham or whoever wasn’t going to help.
A single OF bat would get Kyle out of the field while improving the awful offense. Schwarber is negative WAR right now.
It’s happening regardless once Harper goes 1B FT
Right, but that means we’re playing Cave. I thought the Phils could have traded for an OF bat better than Cave. I suppose the asking prices were too high.
Deadline was lame
A lot of the big names were taken off the market, or had such an exhorbantly high price tag that no other team was willing to meet it.
I thought it was just fine.
Bailey should have been a Phillie for life. Best of luck in Pittsburgh
Not his Falter.
Phillies you did all right. He has some power.
He also has the ability to swing at pitches nowhere near the plate
I sure hope this isn’t the last of Phil’s moves. OF was a top priority
Deadline is over. That’s all she wrote.
I mean the trades are still filtering in though. So there’s a chance.
They had to trade Falter. The addition of Lorenzen put them +1 on the 2-mullet rule.
See ya Castro. The man was a defensive liability
Yes baby! Phillies making moves. Trade for Jared Lorenzen & Fidel Castro! World Series Baby!
Josh Harrison, Jr.?
If Harrison senior is a weak platoon that can’t field well.
%$#@%$
So now Topper will continue to platoon Stott @lhp.
Why do the Phils need 2 Edmundo Sosa’s….? Unless they cut him loose (arb eligible in ’24) and stash this guy in aaa until next year?
Man IDK….
I think a change of scenery is good for both. A strong platoon brought in Holderman. A weak platoon for Falter is fair. Will never miss a weak platoon dh for a arm. Hopefully Philly makes him a more complete player but as is good for playoff contender.
I swear I was thinking Joe and Hill for Falter and a couple of other minor leaguers just yesterday.
BC made another good deal.
Castro can conceivably become another fine hitter but probably as a platoon option.
His fundamentals are fairly weak though.The Pirates also had too many young middle infielders.
Castro was 3 for 30 last week in AAA but started hitting I think.
Falter is pitching to a 192 hitting average over his last four starts if I remember correctly.This guy is not an ace by any means but should be able to make a decent fourth starter.He pitched well last year but started off poorly this year when the Phillies needed him.
The Pirates needed a warm body to start and they got a fairly good pitcher for someone who was as good as he was going to get in Pittsburgh.
I am just sorry that he is taking J Hay’s place as this could be the end of the line for him.
Weird move. Maybe the Phils see something they can extract value from? He’s not displacing anyone in that IF and Sosa is the super utility guy. If this is just for a bump against lefties it was not a cost effective transaction. Hopefully I’m wrong.
I don’t think you’re wrong.
Bargain compared to what mets paid last year for a weak platoon. Not a sexy move but one contenders make all the time.
Yup. I’m okay with the deadline for the Phils. I didn’t really see that huge impact move out there for them. They just need their stars to hit. I was hoping for an OF improvement, but Duvall, Pham and Teoscar didn’t really wow me.
I tried to look at and grade every trade. It’s all a blur. I know it was a seller’s market and prospect cost was high. I think I had Canha as a not costly piece. Lots of 700 to 800 ops. Not much to wow about. Little moves wow me but I’m in minority.
Falter had no future in Philly, so giving Castro a chance to work with Long is worth a flyer and he seems to have some power potential.
I like the concept of the trade, but both teams should have aimed higher at filling these needs.
Seems like a swamp was the best chance either player has to be playing baseball next season.
good trade for the Pirates. Castro has some pop but the team has other players that need time and he wouldn’t get much at the MLB level to get PAs
Falter looks like he has had some strong seasons maybe the pirates can work it out.
Pirates got a couple promising pitchers at the deadline. Nothing crazy but they got a decent return. nothing too spectacular but some decent potential.
“Meanwhile” needs to start the sentence, not come in the middle, separated by commas. Learn this FFS, Steve Adams.
This is actually incorrect. You can use meanwhile in the middle of a sentence.
You cannot in the way he did, per the Chicago Manual.
Phillies fans know Didi Gregorious. Castro is not him. Not even close as a fielder or hitter. Not that Didi was a superstar or anything but watching this guy over the course of his career as a Pirate was mind numbing. Yeah, maybe the change of scenery will transform him but odds are he’ll be a trivia question in a few years