MINNEAPOLIS — Luis Castillo is now pitching for the Orioles. Though it might not be the one who first comes to mind.
Baltimore acquired Luis F. Castillo, a right-handed pitcher who spent the previous two seasons in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball league, from the Seattle Mariners for cash Wednesday night and optioned him to Triple-A Norfolk, the club announced. The Orioles designated left-hander Walter Pennington for assignment to create space on the 40-man roster.
Castillo, 30, made two starts for the Mariners and four for their Triple-A Tacoma affiliate, posting a 5.91 ERA with 17 strikeouts and 12 walks between the two levels. The Dominican native signed with Seattle over the offseason after standout seasons for the NPB’s Orix Buffaloes in 2024 and the Chiba Lotte Marines the previous year. In 27 games in Japan, Castillo went 6-8 with a 3.01 ERA with 21 walks and 108 strikeouts.
He originally signed with the Arizona Diamondbacks as an international amateur free agent in 2012 but was released in 2021. Castillo latched on with the Detroit Tigers and made a brief three-game appearance in the majors the following year before winding up back in free agency and deciding to test his talents in Japan.
The journeyman shares a name with Mariners three-time All-Star pitcher Luis Castillo, who was a frequently mentioned name in trade rumors this winter only for Seattle to keep him around. He’s put up a 3.29 ERA in seven starts so far this season.
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