The White Sox bullpen has been the team’s most significant area of weakness in the early going of 2025. They are just 44 games into the season, yet the relief corps has already blown seven saves and been charged with 15 losses. They also rank in the bottom half of MLB in ERA.
The front office has frequently swapped relievers to and from Triple-A hoping to find answers. They have now gone to the trade market, acquiring veteran right-handed reliever Miguel Castro from the Houston Astros for cash considerations, per reporter Mike Rodriguez. Castro will be called up to the White Sox MLB league roster immediately per the report, with a roster move necessary to make room for him on the active roster.
Castro’s Player Profile
Castro, 30, has played for parts of ten seasons in MLB for six different teams. He has been a relatively reliable bullpen arm over his career, pitching to a 4.20 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, and 8.0 K/9 in 419 MLB appearances. He has spent the 2025 season with the Triple-A Sugar Land Space Cowboys in the Houston Astros organization, where he has pitched to an impressive 2.29 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, and 9.2 K/9 in 17 appearances, including five saves. Opposing batters have hit just .211 against him at the Triple-A level this season.
Durable Bullpen Arm
The White Sox bullpen is largely inexperienced and unproven, but Castro will help address those concerns. He has over 400 MLB appearances to his name and has pitched at least 63 games in a season on four different occasions. Most notably, he made 75 appearances in 2023, tied for second in all of MLB that season.
Castro also has some closer experience with 14 career MLB saves, including seven in 2023 with the Arizona Diamondbacks. That back end of the bullpen experience is significant considering that the White Sox have not had a set closer all season. They have instead rotated different relievers in the ninth inning based on the situation, leading to undefined roles. Castro has had a productive season in Triple-A and was effective at the MLB league level as recently as 2023, so the White Sox are banking that he still has some gas left in the tank and can create stability at the end of games.
White Sox Are Trending Up
After a dismal April in which they finished with a record of 5-21, the White Sox are trending up. They are 7-7 in May and have won four of their last six. The team is beginning to learn how to win despite a shoddy bullpen. To take the next step as a team, Chris Getz and the rest of the front office must fortify the relief corps to keep leads late in games. While not a significant move, Miguel Castro will likely be an upgrade in the White Sox bullpen and could even factor into the late innings and be a potential deadline trade candidate if he proves he still has it at the MLB level.
Not to put a damper on the notion that this team is actually getting better, but their record today is the same as last year’s at this time. So if our recent trending up has resulted is us only reaching the same pathetic record as last year, what does that really say??