The Red Sox saw a slight decline in pitching depth one week prior to the start of spring training.
Zack Weiss and Max Castillo, two right-handed journeymen, were lost to waiver claims by Boston on Wednesday, the team reported. Castillo was grabbed by the Phillies, and Weiss was claimed by the Twins. Late last week, in order to make room for future additions, the Red Sox designated both pitchers for assignment. Weiss was designated when the White Sox claimed infielder Romy Gonzalez off waivers; Castillo was released to create space for Tyler Heineman, the team’s new catcher, who was acquired by the Mets on Friday in a small transaction.
The 31-year-old journeyman Weiss, who has pitched for the Reds and Angels in the past, had a strong season-ending performance with the Red Sox. Weiss had a 2.08 ERA and eight strikeouts in eight and a half innings in six games after Boston claimed him from the Angels on August 25 (despite a 5.79 FIP). Since making his MLB debut in 2018, the former sixth-round pick (2013) has amassed a 4.61 ERA (14 earned runs in 27.1 innings) in 25 professional appearances. He pitched at Triple-A (between Salt Lake and Worcester) last season, recording a 5.44 ERA in 41⅓ innings pitched, with 56 strikeouts and 26 walks.
The 24-year-old Castillo was grabbed off waivers by the Boston Red Sox on January 2, indicating that he had not been with the team for long. With the Blue Jays (2022) and Royals (2022–23), he has played in 21 major league games (six starts), striking out 47 batters in 59 ⅔ innings. His lifetime ERA is 5.43. The native of Venezuela played the majority of the previous season in Triple-A Omaha, where he finished 22 games (21 starts) with a 4.58 ERA, 67 strikeouts in 116 innings, and a 4.58 ERA. During the 2022 trade deadline, the Blue Jays traded second baseman Whit Merrifield to the Royals for Castillo, one of two players.
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