Twins Rule 5 Pick Eiberson Castellano Weirdly Fits Perfectly in this Bullpen

[Greggory Masterson]

Trying to hide a guy in the bullpen for an entire year is a little tricky, but this Twins bullpen is built to do just that. In fact, they almost needed a guy like Eiberson Castellano at this point.

Image courtesy of Reading Fightin Phils

The Twins' bullpen is exciting this season, at least on paper. Before making a single addition, the corps ranks first in FanGraphs’s WAR projection for the 2025 season. Now, obviously, that comes with the caveat that the game is played on the field, not on a spreadsheet, and all that. But it is a sign of both the depth and the star power of this pen.

Enter Eiberson Castellano. The Twins picked Castellano in the Rule 5 Draft last week. He comes to Minnesota with some potential to be a starter (with a three-pitch mix), but the Twins will surely use him out of the bullpen for the time being. As a Rule 5 draftee, he needs to stay on the active roster or MLB injured list for the full season, so the 23-year-old with 40 innings above Single-A will probably be used in low-leverage as much as the Twins can manage.

The club has also commented that the newest Twin will be deployed as a multi-inning reliever. This role keeps him somewhat stretched out, which is vital for his development as a starter (assuming they have any hopes that he can continue to start after 2025). But having a long reliever will also help keep the rest of the guys fresh.

Let’s talk briefly about the rest of the guys.

Right now, the Twins have seven other relievers who appear to be locks in the bullpen picture for one reason or another: Jhoan Duran, Griffin Jax, Cole Sands, Brock Stewart, Jorge Alcala, Justin Topa, and Michael Tonkin. That’s not including arms like Louie Varland, Kody Funderburk, Brent Headrick, Ronny Henriquez (who is already out of options), or the inevitable breakout minor league signing, (Did you see they signed an old friend from the Jaime Garcia trade, Huascar Ynoa last week?) Even someone like Matt Canterino could play a role.

The first six names mentioned are reasonably potential setup guys, at minimum. You’d feel fine seeing any of those six in the seventh inning, and Durán and Jax are a couple of the top relievers in baseball. Tonkin is a rubber arm middle reliever. Of course, it would be nice if one of those seven was left-handed, but a good arm is a good arm.

So what do you add to that mix? Someone who can eat innings when the game isn’t on the line—several at a time. Tonkin can carry some of that load, but it would also be beneficial not to have to burn A-bullpen arms when the game is out of reach or a starter exits early.

Some may point to such failed bullpen setups as the 2021 Twins, during which the team tried to carry Randy Dobnak as a long reliever but couldn’t find enough work for him. That’s probably the most significant risk in carrying a completely unproven rookie and trying to hide him for six months. However, it’s likely easier to get by having the six guys the Twins have over the likes of 2021 Alex Colome and Hansel Robles. Beyond that, they were actively trying to find Dobnak work—given that he was also their sixth starter on the depth chart—whereas the team probably won’t shed a tear if Castellano goes a week without pitching.

Now, though, instead of sending Alcala or Sands to throw 50 pitches in relief, that can be Castellano’s job. None of the arms that you prefer in close games need to stretch out to just cover innings. Tonkin (and his propensity to suck up innings like a Hoover) helps, but having a dedicated guy you can run out there helps more in a bullpen with this much back-end talent than it would in some other bullpens.

Put another way, the Twins are better served with Castellano in their bullpen than they would be finding a veteran middle reliever or another setup man to add to the mix. Every inning that Castellano eats is an inning that doesn’t disqualify another pitcher from throwing tomorrow, and if he throws multiple innings, that might be multiple back-end arms preserved for another day.

Then you can add in the potential long-term benefit—the club has reportedly loved Castellano for a while, and he might have a real future in the organization if he can survive the season. But of course, that’s next year.

There are some obvious caveats. There are questions in the top six—Stewart and Topa’s health, Alcala’s struggles late in 2024, a lack of an extensive track record for Sands and Topa, rumors that Jax might move to the starting rotation, and Durán’s diminished fastball velocity. But show me an MLB team and I’ll show you a bullpen that gives fans a stomach ache for one reason or another. It would be great if someone, anyone, in this mix was a lefty as well. Castellano might also just not be good enough right now (or ever) to keep his ERA below 6.00. 

On the other hand, the Twins do have depth. There are arms in the organization that probably deserve a shot at being in the pen, and it’s not hard to imagine guys like Varland, Canterino, or even Connor Prielipp being arms the team would feel comfortable with from the seventh inning on, and some of those guys are lefties. And if Castellano doesn’t make the cut, so be it. I’m sure the Phillies would accept him back for the $50,000, and the Twins could pivot from there.

However, if there’s a bullpen that could benefit from a true long reliever, it’s the one that the Twins have constructed this season. And it doesn’t hurt to have a guy literally locked into that spot.

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[old nurse]

29 games last year were won or lost bt 5 or more runs. I think they could find 40/50 innings for him 

[mikelink45]

Until we see him in Spring Training and beyond it is all speculation.  I know you have to have something to write about, but a rule V guy as our big move is not enough to get me raising expectations. 

[tony&rodney]

Ronny Henriquez might be lost and he has some promise. Louie Varland has such opposite results. Seems like he could be a pitcher to evolve like Jax or like Sands did last year. The shift from starting pitcher to being a relief pitcher involves a fair amount of physical and mental adjustment. Can Varland make the needed changes to be effective?

I'm less worried about the pitching than I am about the gloves or bats.

[Doctor Gast]

Castellano IMO isn't a true long RP, he's the mop-up guy. A guy they put in when the game is out of reach. He needs to be mentally ready for that role. Yet most certainly a necessary role to save on the arms. As a true long RP who comes in early to keep us in the game & pitching multiple innings. Usually the pen get shot then the rotation before we get to the postseason if they aren't taken care of. I'd like it better if we could work out a trade to have him on the 40-man yet have options. But that's up to PHI.

[DocBauer]

So it's my understanding that the Twins attempted to trade for Castellono recently and were rebuffed. Not sure if they didn't like the offer or were considering keeping him. But they then go ahead and leave him open for the rule 5 and make him available for cash.

Doesn't make a lot ton of sense to me, but oh well.

Wouldn't it just be smarter to offer the Phillies a little something in trade so the Twins could just keep him? They could then put him in MILB instead of protecting him all season. He could still be used in a shuttle run up and down as that long man if you still want/need. But I'd rather have a Varland power arm in my pen daily than a barely ever used, AA experienced only rule 5 stash just sitting there. I want a full, 8 man pen, not a 7 plus 1.

[D.C Twins]

Hello pig...... hold still while I apply lipstick!

(no championship serious team is making rule of V selections to 'stash' for a season)

[old nurse]

2 hours ago, DocBauer said:

So it's my understanding that the Twins attempted to trade for Castellono recently and were rebuffed. Not sure if they didn't like the offer or were considering keeping him. But they then go ahead and leave him open for the rule 5 and make him available for cash.

Doesn't make a lot ton of sense to me, but oh well.

Wouldn't it just be smarter to offer the Phillies a little something in trade so the Twins could just keep him? They could then put him in MILB instead of protecting him all season. He could still be used in a shuttle run up and down as that long man if you still want/need. But I'd rather have a Varland power arm in my pen daily than a barely ever used, AA experienced only rule 5 stash just sitting there. I want a full, 8 man pen, not a 7 plus 1.

They. Made him available because they did not think anyone would or could stash him. With modern bullpens  pitching 500-700 innings it would be hard to keep a body. 

[DJL44]

They're looking to make a trade. I think that they will lose some bullpen depth in that trade.

[LambchoP]

I think he could be a good pitcher for us down the road. He's about two years away though having barely pitched above A ball. If he can make it through this year it'll be a good pickup. Not sure he'll be good enough for a bullpen spot though. I'd rather give Varland a shot at being a full-time reliever and see if his 100 mph fastball can generate any trade interest. Same with Canterino or Moran. Spring training will be interesting. It is seriously sad that a rule 5 pickups and a couple minor league signings are all we're going to do, while still trying to push the narrative that we are trying to compete lol.

[saviking]

Exactly what I projected we would do with him ...

[bean5302]

I'd keep SWR in AAA to get a look at Castellano in the rotation for a few starts if the rule 5'er pitches well in Spring Training. 

The fact Paddack hasn't been shipped out is negligence on Falvey's part. He's doing it again. Guy does not understand the Twins' position or how to budget.

[stringer bell]

Gleeman & the Geek were discussing Castellano on their free podcast, mentioning the difficulty in keeping him in the majors for the whole year as a low-leverage long man. What they didn't mention is using the IL (and rehab) to maintain his major league roster status. My mind's eye sees Eiberson going four plus innings and then having a sore ankle or left wrist injury, followed by 15 days on the IL and a twenty day rehab. Perhaps not blatant cheating using the IL, but using the list to the club's advantage. 

I also don't want to sound too curmudgeonly, but "getting by" with a seven-man bullpen for a few days shouldn't be impossible, especially if the starting pitchers are relatively effective. The Twins had long periods where the last man in their BP wasn't used in 2023 (Cole Sands)--I think they can do it for Castellano if he offers enough promise to be worth it.

[bean5302]

19 hours ago, stringer bell said:

...What they didn't mention is using the IL (and rehab) to maintain his major league roster status...

Castellano would immediately file a grievance and MLB would take all of 24hrs to conclude their investigation and suspend Falvey for probably 3+ years or so since Eppler's suspension just recently wouldn't have been enough to avoid a blatant use of the Phantom IL.

[stringer bell]

1 hour ago, bean5302 said:

Castellano would immediately file a grievance and MLB would take all of 24hrs to conclude their investigation and suspend Falvey for probably 3+ years or so since Eppler's suspension just recently wouldn't have been enough to avoid a blatant use of the Phantom IL.

There’s blatant and there’s gray area. Joey Gallo in 2023 is an example of gray area, and there are multiple examples across MLB where a guy with no options finds the IL during a roster crunch. Over the course of a season, players have nicks which they deal with, but there is something there.

If the Twins like Castellano well enough to keep him and he has a minor injury, I don’t think he’d be prone to grieve since he would be accruing MLB service time and $$$$ instead of being returned and sent to the minors.

Yes, if he totally healthy, that’s a horse of a different color, but if he has some pain somewhere from forearm to shoulder (which I would assume most pitchers have by midseason), using the IL isn’t going to generate much controversy. 

[jorgenswest]

Low leverage roles in the bullpen don’t exist. Assigning the role of a long man ready to throw 50 plus pitches to a single player isn’t efficient. You can’t save that pitcher in the pen until that opportunity occurs and you don’t want them unavailable the following 3 days when the need might arise again. Instead teams use pitchers in options. It is best to build a one with multiple pitchers capable of throwing 30-50 pitches as well as be counted in higher leverage.

Cole Sands was used most often early for multiple innings probably in that shuttle role. His early season effectiveness earned him higher leverage opportunities. He was still capable of throwing multiple innings. His outing with his most pitches thrown was in September. Alcala was used for multiple innings. They needed to send him down for reinforcements after a 48 pitch outing in May. He returned and pitched effectively moving up the bullpen ladder.

I think this has to be the hope for Castellano. Start getting some longer outings and pitch effectively. Use the opportunity to climb the bullpen ladder. If he never moves beyond long man he won’t stay on the roster for the duration. There will be a stretch when the bullpen is depleted. He will have pitched to the point where he is unavailable the next three days. The Twins will need to make a move. If Castellano hasn’t moved up the ladder he will be the one to go.

 

[bean5302]

On 12/17/2024 at 2:15 PM, stringer bell said:

There’s blatant and there’s gray area. Joey Gallo in 2023 is an example of gray area, and there are multiple examples across MLB where a guy with no options finds the IL during a roster crunch. Over the course of a season, players have nicks which they deal with, but there is something there.

If the Twins like Castellano well enough to keep him and he has a minor injury, I don’t think he’d be prone to grieve since he would be accruing MLB service time and $$$$ instead of being returned and sent to the minors.

Yes, if he totally healthy, that’s a horse of a different color, but if he has some pain somewhere from forearm to shoulder (which I would assume most pitchers have by midseason), using the IL isn’t going to generate much controversy. 

2 years ago? Sure. Today, absolutely not. No team is risking a Phantom IL trip where an obvious grievance could be filed, especially not for a rule 5 pick.