Cleveland Indians: Could Rusney Castillo Be A Good Fit?

The Boston Red Sox have moved on from outfielder Rusney Castillo. Does it make sense for him to end up with the Cleveland Indians?

According to Today’s Knuckleball and MLB.com’s Jon Heyman, the Boston Red Sox have placed Rusney Castillo on outright waivers. Castillo had signed a seven-year, $72.5 million contract with Boston in 2014.

Now that he is on waivers, Castillo’s next opportunity with a MLB team is almost guaranteed to be near the veteran minimum. It is hard to see him making at most $2 million/year at this time.

Where could Castillo end up next? How about with the Cleveland Indians? Yes, Castillo was a bust in his time in Bean Town, but a different role with a different team could be the answer.

One other factor that may have led to his struggles is the high expectations he felt in New England. That is not to say he would not be given high expectations elsewhere in the future.

Instead, Castillo could come in and be part of a contender’s team. Castillo has only appeared in nine MLB games this season. In those games, Castillo has a batting average of .250.

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Castillo would be a great benefit on defense, but his bat is a work in progress. I remember prior to Boston officially signing Castillo, hearing about his great play both offensively and defensively. The potential is still there, but I am not confident that he can be anything more than a very good defensive player with average success at the plate.

For the Cleveland Indians, any and all help with their outfield should be considered. The outfielders they have been relying on with Michael Brantley out of the lineup are Tyler Naquin, Jose Ramirez, Lonnie Chisenhall, and Rajai Davis.

Naquin and Ramirez (although in likely very different roles) have bright futures ahead of them with the Cleveland Indians. Meanwhile, Davis is just trying to provide he still has something left at the tail-end of his career. Chisenhall has been average, but he needs to be replaced (regardless of the countless opportunities the Tribe has given him).

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Now could Castillo really be an upgrade over Chisenhall? I would not go that far yet, but if the Cleveland Indians can go without Naquin in the lineup, then they can try to catch lightning in a bottle with Castillo.

If all would go well, Castillo would be a very solid role player coming off of the bench and as a spot duty starter. Between Ramirez, Naquin, Brantley, and in the not so distant future Bradley Zimmer and Clint Frazier, that would be his best bet to stick with the Tribe.

I am sure the Cleveland Indians front office will consider signing him for close to nothing, but at the end of the day, such a fit will not occur. Rather than have a wait and see approach with Castillo, Cleveland will stick with what they already know with the players they already have.

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So, we can and should check Cleveland off of the list of possible destinations for Castillo despite how intriguing it may be. The team Castillo will play for next may take some time to be known and his role is likely not going to be something he is accustomed too doing.