Huh? What? Okay
June 29 2006
The Phillies have traded
left-handed pitcher Dan Haigwood to the Texas Rangers for 21-year-old
left-handed pitcher Fabio Castro.
Haigwood had joined the Phillies as part of the trade that brought Aaron
Rowand to Philadelphia and sent Jim Thome to the White Sox. In 15 starts at
Double-A Reading Haigwood was 2-5 with a 3.54 ERA. In 84 innings he allowed
just 72 hits but 42 walks while striking out 85.
Castro was signed by the White Sox as an undrafted free agent in 2001. The
White Sox lost him in the Rule 5 Draft to Kansas City in December, and the
Rangers got him when they traded Esteban German to the Royals. The Rangers
did not have room for him on their roster when they called up, ironically
enough, Robinson Tejeda, earlier this week and designated Castro for
assignment.
Castro has appeared in four games for the Rangers this season. In 8 1/3
innings he's allowed six hits and seven walks, while striking out five. At
least he's well rested, cause the Phillies are going to need to put him on
the active roster. It looks likely he's going to the pen, where
lefties Cormier, Fultz
and Rhodes have been entrenched all year. That's a lot of lefties. Ruben Amaro, Jr, spoke
about him when the deal was announced, saying, "He has a quality arm, is
young and someone we are pleased to have in our organization. We feel that
he has a chance to develop into a set-up type reliever, which has become
more and more valuable over the years."
I don't follow the thinking here very much, I expect someone will explain
what's going on soon. Castro's numbers in the low minors are good enough,
26-12 with a 2.68 ERA and 292 strikeouts in 260 1/3 innings, but they traded
a prospect in their minors for another prospect that they're going to have
to use right away and is a good bet to get bombed.
The Phillies already were going to make a move tomorrow, putting Bernero in
Myers' spot. They will need to make another move when they add Castro to the
roster, which should be before tomorrow's game in Toronto. You have to
wonder if it's one of the lefties in the pen that is going to lose their
spot, cause four is a lot.
Speaking of lefties in the pen, it's likely unrelated but Arthur Rhodes was
unavailable for a game earlier this week on "personal business"
and has not pitched since June 24.