Kervin Castro appeared ready for the big leagues in 2021.
He came out of the bullpen for the San Francisco Giants that September and tossed 13⅓ scoreless innings (one unearned run) to finish the regular season. The right-hander limited walks and capitalized on strikeout opportunities.
The Detroit Tigers recently signed Castro, who turns 24 in February, to a minor-league contract. He is considered minor-league depth but has enough upside to return to the majors.
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Castro, a member of the San Francisco’s 2021 National League Division Series roster, took a step backward in 2022. (Scott Harris, the Tigers’ president of baseball operations, worked for the Giants from 2020-22.)
He pitched two games for the Giants in late April and was optioned to Triple-A Sacramento. In August, the Chicago Cubs claimed Castro off waivers and used him in eight outings. He posted a 10.22 ERA with seven walks and 11 strikeouts in 12⅓ innings across 10 games.
In November, Castro elected minor-league free agency.
His fastball averaged 92.7 mph in 2022 but is enhanced by top-tier extension and a high spin rate. He also throws a curveball — which generated a 33.3% swing-and-miss rate — and rarely mixes in a cutter.
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Castro competed for Triple-A Sacramento (Giants) and Triple-A Iowa (Cubs) last season, logging a 4.30 ERA with 31 walks and 50 strikeouts in 46 innings over 37 relief appearances.
This offseason, Castro pitched in 10 games for Navegantes del Magallanes in the Venezuelan Winter League. He had a 9.82 ERA with 10 walks and eight strikeouts across 7⅓ innings.
He seems likely to begin the 2023 season in Triple-A Toledo.
Another pitcher
The Tigers also signed Brenan Hanifee, a 6-foot-5 right-handed starter, to a minor-league contract earlier this month. The former prospect underwent Tommy John surgery in May 2021.
Hanifee, 24, joined the Baltimore Orioles in the fourth round of the 2016 draft and became a free agent in November.
He started 13 games between three affiliates: Florida Complex League (two starts), High-A Aberdeen (one start) and Double-A Bowie (10 starts). He registered a 3.92 ERA with 15 walks and 40 strikeouts in 43⅔ innings.
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him on Twitter @EvanPetzold.