Minutes before the 6 p.m. ET deadline, the Phillies acquired switch-hitting infielder Rodolfo Castro from the Pittsburgh Pirates for left-handed pitcher Bailey Falter, according to Jayson Stark of The Athletic.
Castro, 24, plays shortstop, third base and second base. He’s slashing .228/.317/.355 with six home runs and 22 RBIs in 224 plate appearances. Against lefties, Castro has a .906 OPS in 106 plate appearances.
It sounds like he’ll get some playing time against lefties.
“We just think with Castro, we like his overall ability, think he’s going to be a good player in the future,” Dombrowski said. “Has a chance to actually be an everyday player. I don’t think necessarily that would be a fit for us where we are right now, but we think he’s a good player that can contribute to us right now versus a tough left-handed pitcher. If you want to sit some of our guys and get another right-handed bat, he can do that.”
He essentially replaces Josh Harrison, who was designated for assignment to make room for new acquisition Michael Lorenzen.
Falter, 26, has a 4.21 ERA with Triple-A Lehigh Valley in 2023. He opened the season as the Phillies’ No. 5 starter, but he lost his spot after posting a 5.13 ERA.
We’ll have more on this story as more information becomes available.