Phillies acquire pitcher on waiver claim; DFA Simón Muzziotti

The Philadelphia Phillies acquired RHP Max Castillo off of waivers from the Boston Red Sox Wednesday, and designated outfielder Simón Muzziotti for assignment to make room on the 40-man roster. Matt Gelb of The Athletic was the first to report the news, with the team confirming it shortly thereafter.

Castillo had been claimed off of waivers from the Kansas City Royals by the Red Sox on Jan. 2. His time with the Red Sox organization ultimately lasted just over a month, as the 24-year-old will now join the Phillies organization.

In 21 career MLB appearances for the Royals and Toronto Blue Jays, Castillo is 0-3 with a 5.43 ERA and 5.22 FIP. Castillo was used primarily as a starting pitcher at Triple-A a year ago, posting a 4.58 ERA across 116 innings pitched. The 6-foot-2, 280-pound righty has a three-pitch mix, utilizing a four-seam fastball, changeup and slider. He also has a remaining minor-league option, which makes him attractive to a team full of arms who aren’t out of options.

Meanwhile, Muzziotti will likely get a fresh start elsewhere, and there’s a real chance he takes advantage of it. The 25-year-old is a tremendous defender, who slashed .296/.358/.404 with seven home runs, 61 RBIs, 45 walks, 26 stolen bases and a .762 OPS at Triple-A Lehigh Valley in 2023. With Johan Rojas and Cristian Pache in the fold, the Phillies didn’t really have a place for another glove-first outfielder. But Muzziotti will likely be claimed on waivers by some team, especially considering he still has a minor-league option remaining.

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