Rusney Castillo

[Gallen5862]

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/

Latest On Rusney Castillo
By Steve Adams [July 25, 2014 at 6:05pm CDT]

5:33pm: The Reds, too, will join the party, according to a tweet from C. Trent Rosecrans of the Cincinnati Enquirer. Likewise, the Padres will be on hand, tweets Corey Brock of MLB.com. The brings the current tally of teams reportedly planning to have a look at Castillo to 17


12:46pm: Cuban outfielder Rusney Castillo‘s showcase for Major League teams is tomorrow, but MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez adds an interesting twist to the audition: the speedster will work out at both center field and at shortstop (Twitter link).


Castillo is said by many to have plus-plus speed, and several scouting reports have comped him to Brett Gardner with a bit more power. The right-handed hitting 27-year-old has drawn praise for his line-drive stroke, and he’s thought of as a potential starting-caliber outfielder for a Major League club. Sanchez has tweeted a new scouting video of Castillo (including footage of him pushing a car — seriously), while a scouting report can also be seen over at Baseball America, courtesy of international guru Ben Badler. Castillo is represented by Roc Nation Sports.

[Steve4192]

Interesting.

Could a Castillo signing portend a move back to shortstop for Hamilton? Or would the Reds look to put him in LF and and forgo getting any power of that position?

[Benihana]

I'd put Castillo in LF for 2015, and maybe hope to teach him 2B after next season. No idea if that's feasible though. Hamilton is not moving back to SS.

[RedlegJake]

I wish people would forget Hamilton ever played SS. He is not going back there.

[RedTeamGo!]

Thinking Hamilton moving back to SS is possible is like thinking Votto can move back to catcher.

[dougdirt]

Thinking Hamilton moving back to SS is possible is like thinking Votto can move back to catcher.

It's not quite that bad. But it's probably like thinking Todd Frazier could move back to second base.

[RedTeamGo!]

It's not quite that bad. But it's probably like thinking Todd Frazier could move back to second base.

Well, I don't mean physically, I mean realistically. I can see Frazier making a spot start or two at 2B.

There is no way (barring 3 or 4 freak accidents in a game) Hamilton will ever play SS at the major league level. He is too valuable in CF.

[dougdirt]

Well, I don't mean physically, I mean realistically. I can see Frazier making a spot start or two at 2B.

There is no way (barring 3 or 4 freak accidents in a game) Hamilton will ever play SS at the major league level. He is too valuable in CF.

You clearly never saw Frazier play second base. If they put him there, they may as well just stop the game and put you in.

Billy Hamilton has a better chance of finding himself playing shortstop for a game than Frazier does at second.

[REDREAD]

Well, I don't mean physically, I mean realistically. I can see Frazier making a spot start or two at 2B.

There is no way (barring 3 or 4 freak accidents in a game) Hamilton will ever play SS at the major league level. He is too valuable in CF.

Yea, that's the key thing there.
Hamilton might be the best defensive CF in the game right now.
Like an article someone linked earlier said that (at the time) BHam was catching 97% of balls in the zone, vs 90% for Trout, and then the 3rd guy was in the 80's.
Article also said Billy had second best throwing arm in CF.
The guy is a game changer defensively, it was really a great idea of the Reds to move him to CF, even if they did it out of need. I'd rather have Billy's glove at CF than at SS, even if he was an average SS (which he's probably not an average MLB SS Defensively, although I bet he could be in a few years if given reps, but why go through the growing pains)