Wilkin Castillo

[GOYA]

I just wanted to hear some of your opinions about him. I hear some people that expect him to be in the bigs next year. Personally, I don't think he is a big league hitter at this point. His big plus is his versatility but he mainly played third at Louisville and LF in Cincy. I've never seen him catch and I've heard that his skills behind the plate are lacking. It makes me think that he will be an emergency catcher at best if he makes the Reds. He gained a lot of fan support by his hitting tear when he was first called up but after he was pulled by Dusty for a pinch hitter after getting 6 hits in his previous 7 ABs, he went something like 1 for 17 for the rest of the season. He also didn't hit well in Louisville.

I think the Reds would be much better off with Rosales as a versatile bench player and let Castillo fight for playing time with the Bats. Any opinions on him?

Maybe opinions about Richar too. I think he has no business on a ML team. The only thing he really brings is speed.

[RedsManRick]

I'm not terribly impressed. Position flexibility is not a substitute for actual production.

Now, the fact that he can catch certainly helps -- especially if it keeps us from otherwise carrying 3 catchers. But if you have to use a regularly use a guy who OPSs .600 and doesn't play top notch defense, you're already in trouble. So having him be able to do it at a number of different positions doesn't really add any value. And not having him around doesn't hurt you.

[Mario-Rijo]

Originally Posted by RedsManRick

I'm not terribly impressed. Position flexibility is not a substitute for actual production.

Now, the fact that he can catch certainly helps -- especially if it keeps us from otherwise carrying 3 catchers. But if you have to use a regularly use a guy who OPSs .600 and doesn't play top notch defense, you're already in trouble. So having him be able to do it at a number of different positions doesn't really add any value. And not having him around doesn't hurt you.

I agree with both of you. The kid needs to be in AAA getting more time behind the plate and getting more AB's to see if he has a future in the bigs at all. He should only be on the 25 man if we have some sort of medical disaster.

[Scrap Irony]

Right now, he's one of a two-headed monster behind the plate with Hanigan.

And, considering the D, I'm okay with that, understanding the catching position, at this point, is likely Bako-bad offensively. Castillo has some talent and could, with time, develop a couple years of pretty decent OBO, OPS as he matures.

Hanigan had a career year last season in AAA, but he's still better than Javy.

[Orenda]

For me he loses his allure if he cannot catch. I'd much rather prefer Rosales or Richar in a utility role. But Dusty likes his versatility,so I guess with Castillo the phrase would be "He doesn't do one thing great, but he does alot of things mediocre."

[RedlegJake]

I agree Castillo should play in AAA. He's another Hanigan really, a guy who needs a lot of playing time at AAA to get ready. I've heard it both ways about his catching skills - he's pretty good and he's not. Usually that means he isn't as good as originally expected but not necessarily bad.

Danny Richar has great tools and possibilities but I think he needs to go back to AAA and stay for a season to get his confidence back and get back to the .360/.400 OBP's he posted in AAA before the Sox brought him up. Danny's doing something different and it needs to be corrected. This guy is also a very late starter playing baseball, signed mostly for his raw tools with little playing experience. I think Walt acquired him less for immeidate use than what he could become. To achieve that he needs a year or half a year at least in AAA. Condemning him on the little bit he was seen last fall would be a mistake, imo. He's simply not ready yet but he has very real potential. Just don't plan on him for 2009.

[mace]

It puzzled me that Castillo never caught for the Reds. To me, he's all about catching. The versatility means little if he can't first establish himself as a legitimate option at catcher. The Reds are chock full of versatile infielder-outfielder types. In that capacity, he seems no better than Freel or Hairston (if he signs) or Rosales or Keppinger. But if you can get that out of a catcher, that's a different kettle of fish. You'd think Dusty, et al, would have wanted to see him behind the plate. That's how he makes (or doesn't make) the team, in my view.

[redhawk61]

BA had him as the best defensive catcher in the D-Backs org. last year

[GOYA]

Originally Posted by RedlegJake

Danny's doing something different and it needs to be corrected.

Take this with the obvious caveat from seeing him a relatively short time but to me it appears the Richar has a problem with concentration. But although his hitting is still weak (.599 OPS), he only has 1 error in 32 games down in the DWL. To his credit, he isn't striking out a lot.

[camisadelgolf]

The reports claim that Castillo is a good catcher, but he has some troubles with handling pitchers and that that should improve.