White Sox Sign Veteran Catcher Welington Castillo

The White Sox made the first of what should be just a few minor moves this offseason by bringing in veteran catcher Welington Castillo. The move is rather interesting and could mean a few different things for the club. The White Sox have had their fair share of catchers the past few years. Dioner Navarro, Alex Avila, Geovany Soto, and most recently Omar Narvaez and Kevan Smith have handled the catching duties for the White Sox. We could be seeing another platoon type setup with Castillo/Smith/Narvaez until catching prospect Zack Collins is ready to advance to the MLB level.

The Deal

I think this is a solid deal for both sides. Over the past few seasons, Castillo's defense has dramatically trended in a positive direction.

Castillo pairs his consistently improving defense with a very solid bat. In 96 games last year with the Orioles he hit .282 with 20 home runs and 53 RBI's.

Between The Lines

With Castillo coming from the Orioles, Rick Hahn could possibly be adding a familiar face for free-agent-to-be Manny Machado. It's a long shot, but definitely possible.

Final Thoughts

If nothing more, this was a solid depth signing. Castillo can definitely hold his own in the batters box as well as behind the plate. With such a young pitching staff, the White Sox could benefit from his presence. If he exceeds his expectations, he could be yet another piece Rick Hahn flips in the future.