They?re at it again. The Florida Marlins dealt speedy second baseman Luis Castillo to the Minnesota Twins on Friday in exchange for young pitchers Travis Bowyer and Scott Tyler. This deal comes just week after the club shipped slugger Carlos Delgado, staff ace Josh Beckett and third baseman Mike Lowell out of town.
The 30-year-old Castillo hit for a .301 batting average, along with 4 home runs, 30 RBI, and 10 stolen bases in 122 games with the Marlins last season.
The 2005 Gold Glove Award winner also recorded a .391 OBP and fell victim to the strike out 32 times in 439 at-bats.
Bowyer, 24, appeared in 8 games with the Twins last season. He struck out 12 batters in 9.2 innings pitched and compiled a 5.59 ERA.
Scott Tyler, 23, spent all of last season with the Class-A Fort Meyers Miracle of the Florida State League posting 7 wins and an ERA of 3.95.
Breaking Down The Deal
Overall, this is a good move by the Minnesota Twins. The club unsuccessfully experimented with several options at second base last season, including Nick Punto, Luis Rivas, and even former Mariners all-star Bret Boone.
In Luis Castillo, Minnesota adds a Gold Glover to the middle infield and a solid # 2 hitter to the lineup. The switch-hitting Castillo, who missed 40 games last season due to leg injuries, should be able to bounce back and wreak havoc on the base-paths in 2006.
Castillo will make $5 million in 2006 and has a team option of $5.75 million in 2007.
On the flip side, Florida continues to stockpile pitching. Florida acquires two young pitchers with promise. The hard-throwing (97 mph) Travis Bowyer has a shot at making the Marlins bullpen in 2006. Scott Tyler features a 92-94 mph fastball along with a hard curve ball. The former 2001 second rounder has durability issues and could be more productive in a reliever role.
Winner: Minnesota Twins
? Florida could have received a better package for Castillo. Several teams around the league, including the Mets and Yankees, are in need of an everyday second baseman.
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