Castillo is out of the WBC.
The Seattle Times reported on February 2 (Korean time) that Seattle Mariners’ Luis Castillo will not participate in the World Baseball Classic (WBC) in March.
According to the Seattle Times, Seattle baseball president Jerry Dipoto said, “Castillo will be playing spring training with the team.”
Castillo, from the Dominican Republic, was included in the reserve list announced by Dominica. As he is a pitcher rated as an ace in the major leagues, expectations were raised that he would become the core of Dominica’s mound.
But Seattle decided to spare Castillo. Seattle acquired Castillo from the Cincinnati Reds last summer and signed a five-year, $108 million contract extension. Seattle ace Castillo is due for his first spring training in Seattle this spring.
Seattle has painful memories of the WBC. In 2017, the aftermath of the WBC has experienced problems with two starters. Former Seattle ace Felix Hernandez missed half of the season with an arm injury after competing in Venezuela in 2017, and Drew Smiley, 안전놀이터 a member of the US National Team, underwent Tommy John surgery after the WBC. Seattle acquired Smiley in preparation for the 2017 season, but Smiley never climbed the mound in Seattle.
It was natural that Seattle, who had lost a starting pitcher to the WBC, and Castillo, who had signed a long-term contract with Seattle, would not want to be exposed to the same risk.
Given this background, Seattle’s decision does not seem to have much to do with the recently controversial big league clubs’ refusal to recruit Dominican players. The Seattle Times reported that Seattle’s other Dominican nationals, outfielders Julio Rodriguez and Teosca Hernandez, and reliever Diego Castillo, are expected to compete in the WBC.