The Chicago Cubs acquired super utility man Willi Castro from the Minnesota Twins for two prospects, it was announced Thursday.
Castro, 28, has played six positions for Minnesota this season — seven if you count an inning on the mound — mostly splitting time equally at second, left and right field. Castro is likely to see time at third base for Chicago, especially when there is a tough righty on the mound, as he’ll split time there with rookie Matt Shaw.
To make room on the active roster, Ryan Pressly, who opened the season as the Cubs’ closer, was designated for assignment.
Castro is joining his third team after starting his career in Detroit then playing the last three seasons for the Twins. He’s a career .245 hitter with 55 home runs over his seven big league seasons. He’ll be a free agent at the end of this year.
In return, the Twins are getting Double-A pitchers Ryan Gallagher and Sam Armstrong. Gallagher, 22, has a .386 ERA split between Single and Double-A this season while Armstrong has a 2.87 mark across several minor league levels. Neither is considered a top prospect in the Cubs system.
The Cubs also picked up lefty Taylor Rogers from the Pirates, who they acquired just yesterday from the Reds in the deal that netted Cincinnati third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes.
Rogers, 34, appeared in 40 games for the Reds, compiling a 2.45 ERA, and giving up three home runs in 33 innings. He’s a 10 year veteran who should get late inning opportunities for Chicago.
Pressly, 36, was 2-3 with a 4.35 ERA and 28 strikeouts in his first season with the Cubs. He spent the previous seven seasons with the Astros, taking over the closer role from 2021 to 2023, and has 117 career saves.
