Phillies claim possible utility guy on waivers to complete 40-man roster

The Philadelphia Phillies announced Monday that they have claimed potential utility man Diego Castillo off of waivers from the New York Yankees, filling out the final spot on their 40-man roster.

Castillo appeared in just one game at the MLB level a year ago for the Arizona Diamondbacks, but hit .313 with three home runs, 72 RBIs, 13 stolen bases and 97 walks for Triple-A Reno. Even without a ton of power output, Castillo posted an impressive .841 OPS.

He also flashed some defensive flexibility, which is important for any potential organizational depth piece to have. At Triple-A, Castillo saw time in left field, at second base, third base and shortstop.

Thus far, 2024 hasn’t proven to be a very stable year for Castillo. The 26-year-old was designated for assignment in December by the Diamondbacks, and ultimately claimed by the New York Mets on Jan. 5. His time with the Mets organization was very brief, as he was designated for assignment and claimed on waivers by the Yankees on Jan. 19. And the Phillies will now serve as the fourth organization Castillo has been a part of this offseason.

Claiming Castillo and filling out the 40-man roster doesn’t necessarily mean the Phillies are done making moves this offseason. They had an open spot, so there really wasn’t much to lose by claiming him on waivers. If the Phillies ultimately sign a veteran reliever or outfielder, it wouldn’t be especially hard to clear a 40-man spot for said signee.

The Phillies could DFA Castillo. Or maybe the Phillies would keep Castillo and designate Rodolfo Castro for assignment. Other players currently on the 40-man roster that the Phillies could theoretically consider trading to clear a spot(s) before Opening Day are Kody Clemens, Darick Hall, Simón Muzziotti, Andrew Bellatti, Connor Brogdon and Dylan Covey.

Former Phillie Nick Maton DFA’d by Tigers

Former Philadelphia Phillies utility man Nick Maton has been designated for assignment by the Detroit Tigers to make room for LHP Kolton Ingram, the announced Monday.

While Maton could clear waivers and accept an outright assignment to Triple-A Toledo, this more than likely brings his brief stint in the Tigers organization to a conclusion. There’s a chance a team claims Maton on waivers or he just decides after clearing waivers that he wants a fresh start after posting a -1.1 WAR in 93 games for the Tigers a year ago.

Ironically, one of the few highlights from a season that saw Maton post an unsightly .593 OPS came against the Phillies in June when he broke up 6 2/3 innings of no-hit ball from Aaron Nola with a titanic home run for the Tigers.

A seventh-round pick in the 2017 MLB Draft, Maton slashed .254/.330/.434 with a .764 OPS in 86 games for the Phillies between the 2021 and 2022 seasons. He and infielder/outfielder Matt Vierling were traded to the Tigers in a January 2023 trade that brought back reliever Gregory Soto and utility man Kody Clemens.

Maton, 26, is out of minor-league options, so any team that either claims him on waivers or signs him to a Major-League deal after he clears waivers would have to keep him on their 26-man roster to avoid him being subjected to waivers again.

Maton’s older brother, Phil, had been seen as a potential fit for the Phillies bullpen by some this offseason, but he was said to be closing in on a deal with the Tampa Bay Rays over the weekend.