King: Yankees and Castillo Talking Deal; Want Him at Second Base
By Matt Mirro
According to George A. King of the New York Post, the New York Yankees and Cuban defector Rusney Castillo are discussing a possible deal that could land him in the Bronx. After a private workout at the Yankees’ Spring Training complex in Tampa, the team’s evaluators liked the 27-year-old, who has been primarily scouted as an outfielder, and as a second baseman, which is rather unusual given previous scouting reports.
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Described as a Brett Gardner/Jacoby Ellsbury-type player (big speed, good defense) with surprising power, the Yankees would be smart to make a run at him given the overwhelming success of fellow Cuban defectors like Yoenis Cespedes, Yasiel Puig and Jose Abreu. According to King, Castillo could make a dollar amount between $35 and $50 million dollars based off of what the market has been for past players in his situation.
The Yankees are of course the Fort Knox of baseball, and this is well within their price range. Castillo could become the Yankees everyday second baseman which will allow them to move around newly acquired super utility man Martin Prado, which is the best way to utilize his ability (Example: Tony Phillips. Look him up). If they Yankees could reel in Castillo, and he can play anywhere close the level of his predecessors, they’ll have a star on their hands. Keep an eye out for the latest regarding Castillo and the Yankees and any potential deal that may unfold.