Does Tommy Edman's Extension Reflect Willi Castro's Trade Value?

[Cody Pirkl]

The Dodgers signed freshly acquired utilityman Tommy Edman to a surprising contract extension over the holiday weekend. Should the Twins learn from this deal when considering the path forward with Willi Castro?

Image courtesy of Matt Blewett-Imagn Images

Willi Castro and Tommy Edman may not be identical players stylistically, but they’re both super-utility types who can be extremely valuable in the right role and circumstance. The Dodgers showed how valuable they believe such a player to be when they signed Tommy Edman to a 5-year, $74-million contract. With the Twins in a financial bind, they may find themselves looking at this deal and determining that their team MVP last season is even more valuable than we thought.

Edman has had an up-and-down career, with a peak 2022 season in which he posted a .725 OPS to go along with the elite up-the-middle defense he’s consistently shown. In the two years since, he’s failed to reach those heights again, including a 2024 season in which even the defense disappointed—albeit in limited time, without a set position, and coming off a pair of major injuries. Still, the Dodgers see Edman’s skillset as one they want on their roster (with World Series aspirations) for the next five years.

While Willi Castro lacks the high-end glove to hold up consistently at positions like center field and shortstop, he can fill in as needed and move around pretty much everywhere in the field. While he could likely settle into a few positions and provide plus defense, his ability to be available elsewhere is one of his strengths. Castro has shown more upside offensively, as his .750 OPS in 2023 and .717 OPS in 2024 were each 8% above the league average in those seasons. He also brings the same ability to switch-hit that Edman does.

One could argue that Castro has a slight offensive edge over Edman, while Edman holds a significant defensive advantage. Castro likely wouldn’t attract the same deal on the open market today as Edman, especially considering the Dodgers had reportedly been trying to trade for him for years, but this deal suggests that Castro’s skillset may be valued more highly league-wide than we thought.

There’s an arms race among the teams like the Dodgers and Mets, who are ready to make a statement with their payrolls. These teams will surely fill out the core of their rosters with high-end players like Juan Soto and Blake Snell. No addition appears to be off-limits for several teams this winter. Intelligent organizations understand that depth on their roster will become as valuable as the big names. As we saw with the Dodgers when they acquired and extended Edman, these teams understand how valuable a player like Castro can be.

The Dodgers gave up former top-100 prospect Miguel Vargas and two young, far-off prospects for Edman and Michael Kopech in a three-team deal. While Castro has just the 2025 season left under contract, Edman was in the midst of one of the lower-end offensive seasons of his career when acquired. It’s fair to wonder whether a team such as the Blue Jays, Red Sox, or Mets would be willing to give up some pieces that have a shot to contribute in 2025 at some point. Shedding Castro’s estimated $6.8 million contract would also offer the Twins some financial flexibility to add at other positions, which is a consideration of this offseason.

The Twins, of course, have seen the value in Castro’s skillset firsthand. While it can be argued that his potential value on the trade market just increased, it doesn’t change how much of an impact he can have on a 2025 Twins roster hoping to get back to the playoffs. For a team with so many players who miss chunks of time every season, Castro has been valuable beyond measure the last two seasons. An exciting wave of youth is still arriving over the next year, but it would be fair of the Twins to decide that a super-utility player such as Castro is more of a luxury than a need on this roster.

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Does Tommy Edman’s price mean the Twins should be more open to trading Willi Castro? Should they be checking in with the big-budget teams who can’t buy such a skillset on the open market? Should Castro be completely off-limits? Let us know below!

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[Rod Carews Birthday]

That contract is pretty ridiculous, but good for Edman.   It’s Dodger money so I don’t care.  As for Castro, I would REALLY like to find a way to keep him because in addition to his obvious utility on the field I think he is the closest thing to a spark plug (at least one that isn’t injured all the time) that the Twins currently have.  If we do have to trade him, at least this would seem to indicate that he has pretty strong value.  

[Cory Engelhardt]

As always, it depends on the return. But if you can maximize the return for him, go for it.

[LambchoP]

Castro is one of the few base stealing threats we have. He can play all over the place. With all of our injury prone starters, I'm guessing Castro will have close to a full season worth of at bats again. He's very valuable. If we were to trade him, I wouldn't want it to be a salary dump, I'd look for major league talent in areas we need. Starting pitching, RH outfielders or a first baseman.

[Twins GFP]

Nick Punto is probably kicking himself for not playing in today's era...

Castro as a luxury is an inane comment.  Edman's contract only reinforces the value Castro brings to this team.  And no, there is no one in the MiLB system that comes close to providing what Castro does.

[Parfigliano]

In 2 years with TC Castro is averaging 522 PAs a year.  That's a starter not utility player.

[Trov]

55 minutes ago, Parfigliano said:

In 2 years with TC Castro is averaging 522 PAs a year.  That's a starter not utility player.

He is a utility player as a starter.  He does not have an established starting spot and will move all around, that is why he is a utility player. 

[Trov]

I do not think the contract for Edman reflects Castro's trade value.  One, Edman played either CF or SS for Dodgers after the trade, and is expected to play one of them exclusively depending on other moves.  Right there makes the comparison not equal.  Additionally, how one team like the Dodgers value of a player does not mean other teams would have a similar view.  The Dodgers can, and clearly do spend a ton more then everyone else for the most part.  They are deferring the money they are paying the players as well down the road.  

Now, if the Twins could use the appearance of a utility man going for the cost of Edman and would trade for Castro to get a cheaper option, then strike while iron is hot, but my guess it will not change how teams look at Castro. 

[sun]

The question that I want answered is whether Willi can produce in a season when the Twins stars are not injured, If he can produce along with the stars playing then his value will continue to rise. But if he only plays his best when the stars are injured then it means that his stock isn't worth as much as the hype suggests. I'm more of a wait & see how much that he's worth before signing him to any kind of extension. For comparison, the Twins traded Eduardo Nunez to the Giants after he become an All-star and he was a better hitter than Willie. 

[Doctor Gast]

IMO this is a strange article.  On the one hand shows how an intelligent team like LAD values super-utility players like Castro & on the other hand how we can unload Castro to an intelligent team that values depth. Why can't we be that intelligent team that appreciates what Castro does for us & what a value he is? I agree with Fire D G, we don't have anyone who can replace him in the system. With the Fire Sale sign out we won't get close to what he's worth. 

[bean5302]

2 hours ago, Rod Carews Birthday said:

That contract is pretty ridiculous, but good for Edman.   It’s Dodger money so I don’t care.  As for Castro, I would REALLY like to find a way to keep him because in addition to his obvious utility on the field I think he is the closest thing to a spark plug (at least one that isn’t injured all the time) that the Twins currently have.  If we do have to trade him, at least this would seem to indicate that he has pretty strong value.  

It's not ridiculous. A 3 WAR player is going to make about $18MM AAV. Edman's age does make the 5 years a bit long, but the total money means it's a great deal. I'm assuming Edman wanted more total money than AAV. The value is in the team control here.

Castro's overall value for 1 year at $6MM will be significant, but I don't think Falvey has the skill necessary to make the tender/trade work based on his history. 

[bean5302]

2 hours ago, Fire Dan Gladden said:

Nick Punto is probably kicking himself for not playing in today's era...

Castro as a luxury is an inane comment.  Edman's contract only reinforces the value Castro brings to this team.  And no, there is no one in the MiLB system that comes close to providing what Castro does.

I mean, Punto did have that 1 good year back in 2006.

[gman]

I think paying Castro $6 mil will be a hard sell to ownership, consequently I believe Castro will be gone by the end of the spring. I do believe the Twins value utility all over the place, as you can see by all the players playing multiple positions. Maybe just not as well as we like.

[Rod Carews Birthday]

10 minutes ago, bean5302 said:

It's not ridiculous. A 3 WAR player is going to make about $18MM AAV. Edman's age does make the 5 years a bit long, but the total money means it's a great deal. I'm assuming Edman wanted more total money than AAV. The value is in the team control here.

Castro's overall value for 1 year at $6MM will be significant, but I don't think Falvey has the skill necessary to make the tender/trade work based on his history. 

Maybe not completely ridiculous, but it seems a little crazy to sign a guy at his age after two relatively mediocre years offensively.  With the Dodgers' checkbook, it won't matter if the contract doesn't age well, but I don't think I would want to be holding that contract in a couple of years. 

I would like them to keep Castro, (and this sure underscores his value), but I don't think the budget will be allowed to be there for that. 

[bean5302]

50 minutes ago, gman said:

I think paying Castro $6 mil will be a hard sell to ownership, consequently I believe Castro will be gone by the end of the spring. I do believe the Twins value utility all over the place, as you can see by all the players playing multiple positions. Maybe just not as well as we like.

The Twins are 100% committed to it now. They tendered Castro a contract so it's now fully guaranteed. I don't see any reason for Castro to agree to substantially less than the $6.2MM estimated by MLBTR for his arbitration value.

It's not like a few years ago where teams could screw players over by agreeing to a contract without actually going to arbitration only to release the player before the start of the season to get out of the contract.

That makes trading him, before spring when he still has value, the likeliest outcome under your assumption. If Castro winds up getting injured in normal daily life, the Twins are stuck with him. It's a risky game they're playing.

[sun]

The Twins do have a player that could replace Castro, Anthony Prato. His OBP last season with the Saints was .370.  He's played 3B, 2B, SS, LF, RF. 

https://www.milb.com/player/anthony-prato-668791?stats=career-r-fielding-minors&year=2024

[Vanimal46]

The only thing this move represents is the Dodgers have F You money to spend on anyone they want for their team. Nothing more to it. 

[thelanges5]

Keep him and sign him to a “Dodgers” like deferred contract to save $$ in 2025. 

2-3 yrs w/aav of $8million

3yrs, $24 million @ 4, 8, 12 

surely they could get creative with this one.

[bean5302]

2 hours ago, thelanges5 said:

Keep him and sign him to a “Dodgers” like deferred contract to save $$ in 2025. 

2-3 yrs w/aav of $8million

3yrs, $24 million @ 4, 8, 12 

surely they could get creative with this one.

Why in the world would Castro take a deal like you're proposing when Tommy Edman just got 5yrs $74MM? The deal includes a massive signing bonus of $17MM and is structured similar to this.
2025 - $25.0MM ($8MM + 17.0MM)
2026 - $8.0MM
2027 - $8.0MM
2028 - $8.0MM
2029 - $8.0MM
2030 - $13.0MM Club Option ($3.0MM buyout)
--------------------------------------------------------
Deferrals
2031
2032
2033
2034 - $2.5MM
2035 - $2.5MM
2036 - $2.5MM
2037 - $2.5MM
2038 - $2.5MM
2039 - $2.5MM
2040 - $2.5MM
2041 - $2.5MM
2042 - $2.5MM
2043 - $2.5MM

[Danchat]

Wow, if that is the market for Castro, then this is either his last year as a Twin or last year was. 

[tony&rodney]

Willi Castro is a damn fine player, but he is best utilized in a utility role. Teams like the Dodgers can pay whatever they deem appropriate, thus it has very little to no relationship to what Castro means financially to the Twins. The Twins need to maneuver in the AL and NL Central crowd (minus the Cubs) as a reality and this means Castro is a little rich right now for our guys.

However, there may be teams looking at Willi and figuring that he could plug a hole in their system. Boston, the New York fellows, San Diego and Seattle come to mind. While it would be sweet to see Castro have his best year yet in 2025 for the Twins, there should be an opportunity to trade him for a needed player. Likely this is in combination with another player or two. The Twins have holes to fill and they have guys like Brooks Lee, Ed Julien, Jose Miranda, Anthony Prato, Michael Helman, and DaShawn Kiersey Jr. to fill utility roles at MLB minimum cost. There are also a couple of guys who may be closer than many believe, Payton Eeles and Luke Keaschall. Seems like there are some pieces there to find a transaction to benefit the Twins. Please find that deal F & S.

[thelanges5]

2 hours ago, bean5302 said:

Why in the world would Castro take a deal like you're proposing when Tommy Edman just got 5yrs $74MM? The deal includes a massive signing bonus of $17MM and is structured similar to this.
2025 - $25.0MM ($8MM + 17.0MM)
2026 - $8.0MM
2027 - $8.0MM
2028 - $8.0MM
2029 - $8.0MM
2030 - $13.0MM Club Option ($3.0MM buyout)
--------------------------------------------------------
Deferrals
2031
2032
2033
2034 - $2.5MM
2035 - $2.5MM
2036 - $2.5MM
2037 - $2.5MM
2038 - $2.5MM
2039 - $2.5MM
2040 - $2.5MM
2041 - $2.5MM
2042 - $2.5MM
2043 - $2.5MM

I guess I wasn’t really looking at what Castro would or wouldn’t do. More looking at what I think the Twins could/would do. Edman is a nice player but we don’t print money like the Dodgers. 

[RpR]

5 hours ago, sun said:

The Twins do have a player that could replace Castro, Anthony Prato. His OBP last season with the Saints was .370.  He's played 3B, 2B, SS, LF, RF. 

https://www.milb.com/player/anthony-prato-668791?stats=career-r-fielding-minors&year=2024

One error ever 11 games at 2nd base and One error ever 5 games at 3rd base.

Castro had one error every 20 games at all his positions combined.

[Doctor Gast]

There is no big need to where we need to capitalize on trading Castro unless you to go big on a SP or pick up a promising young catcher. & even then we have many other players that we can easily get along w/o. Like Jeffers, Julien, Larnach & a score of prospects with G Gonzales heading the list. If we trade Castro we create a hole that is harder to fill. Castro isn't our starting CF or our starting SS or even our starting 2Bman, he's our utility player which adds valuable much-needed depth to all these premium positions. He gets to & makes plays on a temporary basis that many utility players can't. His flexibility is his greatest talent.

[TopGunn#22]

We've seen multiple scenarios about trading nearly every player on the Twins roster so far this winter.  It is a sobering thought when the Dodgers can pay a utility guy MORE than what we're paying Byron Buxton, and we still act like Buxton's contract is a backbreaker for our current ownership.

The Twins don't pay relief pitchers top dollar and they won't be paying a utility guy top dollar.  Certainly not in 2026.  Castro is the modern day version of Cesar Tovar.  He plays enough to get regular player AB's but he plays all over the diamond.  

Castro will certainly NOT be with the Twins in 2026.  And maybe Jhoan Duran won't be either.  Would a Duran and Castro for Teel trade work with the Red Sox?  Boston is moving on from Kenley Jansen.  They got a solid year out of Connor Wong at catcher last year.  Castro could be a very valuable piece for them.  Would Duran and Castro be enough to pry "Catcher of the Future" Teel away ??     

[tony&rodney]

1 hour ago, TopGunn#22 said:

Would Duran and Castro be enough to pry "Catcher of the Future" Teel away ??     

This trade would benefit both teams. Would Falvey & Sons make this move?

[bean5302]

2 hours ago, TopGunn#22 said:

...It is a sobering thought when the Dodgers can pay a utility guy MORE than what we're paying Byron Buxton, and we still act like Buxton's contract is a backbreaker for our current ownership...

Buxton's Contract was for 7yrs $105MM. The current value of the contract was like 60% more than Edman got. It's never been about Buxton's contract, it's about an overall payroll which has 5 guys eating up 75% of the capacity so the Twins have got $30-40MM to sign 21 other players.

[tony&rodney]

7 minutes ago, bean5302 said:

It's never been about Buxton's contract, it's about an overall payroll which has 5 guys eating up 75% of the capacity so the Twins have got $30-40MM to sign 21 other players.

Seems like an interesting plan to buy a car that now doesn't leave room for groceries. You are not wrong.

The opportunities still exist to complete trades and reduce expenditures. You proposed a few yourself. The fate of the team rests with Falvey & Sons. Can they determine what talent is available and whether the Twins need Castro? Winter meetings should provide an opportunity if these guys go. I'm open to all ideas and hoping for the best. I don't think Castro fits in 2025 though.

[Jeff K]

Buy low, sell high.  I think Castro's value is at it's high point.  Given the limited payroll flexibility for the Twins, I think they will move him.  They ought to get a solid return for him especially if he is paired with the right prospect.

[sun]

On 12/3/2024 at 7:19 PM, RpR said:

One error ever 11 games at 2nd base and One error ever 5 games at 3rd base.

Castro had one error every 20 games at all his positions combined.

In 2024, Prato made ZERO errors playing 29 games at 2B (236.2 innings) 

In 2024, Prato made 8 errors in 42 games at 3B (342 innings)

In 2024, Prato made zero errors in 3 games at SS (18.2 innings), 1 error in 9 games playing LF (66.2 innings) & zero errors in 21 games playing RF (167 innings).

Prato played SS in college.

https://www.milb.com/player/anthony-prato-668791?stats=career-r-fielding-minors&year=2024