Miami Marlins Decline Starlin Castro’s option
Before the offseason gets too deep, infielder Starlin Castro will be looking for a new job. The Miami Marlins declined Castro’s $16 million option for next season, opting for the $1 million buy-out instead.
Moving On
First noted by Jon Heyman, the decision to move on from Castro wasn’t exactly a surprise. Castro’s contract in large part was purchased as a way to off-set things in sending Giancarlo Stanton to the New York Yankees. The main pieces to that trade were Jose Devers and right-hander Jorge Guzman.
With the recent struggles at the plate for Castro and the rising potential of Isan Diaz and Brian Anderson, this was the right move for the Marlins. Right now, both Diaz and Anderson are projected to begin the 2020 campaign at second and third respectively. As a result of this, there is no legitimate spot for Castro.
The Ups and Downs
Castro’s time in Miami wasn’t without its worth. He did provide a strong veteran presence among a litany of youthful talent. Since 2018, he did lead the team in games played with 316. Through that time he produced a slash line of .274/.314/.418 which came out to be just over league average when adding in the pitcher-friendly Marlins Park. In the 2019 season alone, Castro produced a season-high with 22 home runs and 86 RBI. His overall offensive WAR, as noted by Baseball-Reference, was 4.6 which points to the fact that he lived up to his contract. He was paid $23.7 million over that two-year span in Miami.
Even with that said, there were some significant downfalls to Castro. That including a slumping plate performance that basically took him out of trade contention at the trade deadline. Castro also produced his fourth-highest strikeout total for a single season (111). While he hasn’t been an exceptional defensive player he did put forth a mark of just 0.4 over two seasons. Castro has a proven track record for not walking and 2019 highlighted that with just 29 walks all season long.
Going Forward
While there is a prevailing thought that Starlin Castro still might find major league playing time next season it won’t be as a Marlin. A good possibility could be reuniting with the Chicago Cubs. Back in the days since his departure from Chicago, the Cubs had the emergence of Javier Baez and Addison Russell plus the acquisition of Ben Zobrist.
Now with Zobrist likely gone as a free agent and Russell likely to be non-tendered, there’s a strong need for a veteran presence up the middle for the Cubs. The Detroit Tigers could also use a low-cost option with a veteran presence. Ultimately we could see the veteran in an MLB uniform next season. But for which team that is still up in the air.
