Welington Castillo, Retired

Date of Birth: 4/24/1987
Birthplace: San Isidro, Dominican Republic

Welington Castillo, retired catcher, was first signed by the Chicago Cubs in 2004. He played in the minor leagues from 2006 through 2012, ending his minor league career with a .265 batting average.

From 2010 through 2012, Castillo played in just 63 games with the Cubs. In 2013, he played in 113 games with them and he batted .274 with 104 hits and 23 doubles. As a catcher, he made 730 putouts and 10 errors with a .988 fielding percentage in 113 games.

Castillo finished the 2014 season with 90 hits, 19 doubles, 46 RBIs, and a .237 batting average in 110 games. His defense behind the plate was impressive, catching players trying to steal 32.9% of the time and having a .993 fielding percentage.

On May 19, 2015, Castillo was traded to the Seattle Mariners. He was traded again on June 3rd, this time to the Arizona Diamondbacks. He finished the 2015 season with 81 hits, 15 doubles, 19 home runs, 57 RBIs, and a .237 batting average in 24 games with the Cubs, 6 games with the Mariners, and 80 games with the Diamondbacks. As a catcher in 88 games, he made 35 assists, 606 putouts, and 7 errors. He caught players trying to steal 25% of the time and he had a .989 fielding percentage.

Castillo batted .264 in 113 games with the Diamondbacks in 2016. He finished the season with career highs in hits (110), doubles (24), and RBIs (68). Defensively, as the Diamondbacks' catcher in 107 games, he made 72 assists, 799 putouts, and 7 errors. He had a .992 fielding percentage and he caught players trying to steal 37.5% of the time.

Castillo became a free agent on December 2, 2016. He signed a one-year contract with the Baltimore Orioles on December 16, 2016. The contract includes a player option for 2018. He finished the 2017 season with a .282 batting average in 96 games. He had 96 hits, 20 home runs, 53 RBIs, and 97 strikeouts to 22 walks. Defensively, as the Orioles' catcher in 88 games, he made 42 assists, 647 putouts, and 4 errors. He caught players trying to steal 49% of the time.

Castillo signed with the Chicago White Sox on December 1, 2017. He received an 80 game suspension in 2018 for the use of PEDs. In 49 games with the White Sox, he had 44 hits and a .259 batting average.

Castillo spent time on the DL in 2019 with a left oblique strain. He batted .209 with 48 hits in 72 games.

The White Sox traded Castillo to the Texas Rangers on October 31, 2019. A day later, he elected free agency. He signed a minor league contract with the Washington Nationals on February 12, 2020. He opted out of the shortened COVID-19 2020 season.

Castillo played only in the minors in 2021. He retired on July 4, 2021.

Career batting statistics for Castillo through 2019 include:

• 726 games played
• 626 hits
• 126 doubles
• 98 home runs
• 339 RBIs
• 691 strikeouts to 183 walks
• .254 batting average

Career fielding statistics for Castillo as a catcher through 2019 include:

• 649 games played
• 397 assists
• 4,620 putouts
• 48 errors
• .320 caught stealing percentage
• .991 fielding percentage

Sources for Information
Wikipedia - Welington Castillo
ESPN - Welington Castillo