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Colorado Rockies rumors: Welington Castillo in Denver in 2018?
It is no secret that the Colorado Rockies would like to have Jonathan Lucroy back behind the plate in 2018. However, the veteran catcher will be considered one of the prized pickups for several teams behind the dish next season. If the Rockies and Lucroy can’t work something out, could Welington Castillo find his way to LoDo in the offseason?
According to a blog by The Baltimore Sun, Colorado is one of the locations where the 30-year-old Castillo could land after he turned down a $7 million offer to stay with the Baltimore Orioles. Last season, Castillo was just one of four catchers to post 20 home runs and an .800 OPS so his services will be intriguing to a number of teams, including the Rockies.
Castillo also paced Major League Baseball by throwing out 49.7 of the baserunners he faced last season. Additionally, he is very familiar with the National League (including the National League West) after spending two seasons with the Arizona Diamondbacks and six seasons with the Chicago Cubs.
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Defense has been one of the knocks against Castillo during his career. However, he was lethal against base stealers last season and his pitch framing skills improved last season as a part of a career year he had in Baltimore.
His 162-game average, according to Baseball Reference, would put him at 21 home runs and 76 RBI with a .259 average throughout his career. Those are numbers that would be welcomed by a Rockies offense that struggled at times to score last season.
Colorado’s catching options are a bit murky heading into the offseason. While Colorado’s first choice would certainly be to bring back the 31-year-old Lucroy, Castillo could provide an alternative option. Additionally, Colorado has Tony Wolters and Tom Murphy coming back behind the plate. However, both had down seasons last year and the veteran presence of Lucroy behind the plate proved beneficial for Colorado’s young pitching staff.
Next: Which of the top free agents could the Rockies land next season?
Signing someone like Castillo or Lucroy is going to come with a decent price tag for the Rockies or any other team. MLBTradeRumors.com has predicted Lucroy will draw a two-year, $24 million contract while Castillo is forecast to sign a two-year, $14 million contract.