So Long, Willi: Twins Trade Willi Castro to Chicago Cubs

[Matthew Trueblood]

Image courtesy of © Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

Though Jhoan Duran was part of the organization longer and Carlos Correa's expatriation is more significant, for many Twins fans, this will be the trade that hurts most. Willi Castro endeared himself to teammates, management and the fans, with a blend of great tools, a hustling style, versatility and affability. Now, he'll pack his many gloves and his bats (just the one set, though; I asked, and Castro said he's not one of the switch-hitters who swings different sizes or shapes of lumber from each side of the plate) and try to make an impact on the pennant race.

Castro, 28, will be a free agent at the end of this season. In the final year of his arbitration eligibility, he’s making $6.4 million this year, which means that just over $2 million remains to be paid. That’s a small price to pay, though, for a switch-hitting utility man who offers a modicum of both power and speed. After hitting a career-high 12 home runs last year, Castro already has 10 in 2025. In 336 plate appearances, he entered Tuesday batting .252/.343/.418. 

The Twins scooped Castro up off the scrap heap before the 2023 season, signing him to a minor-league deal after he’d been non-tendered by the Detroit Tigers. Since then, he’s been the Swiss Army knife for the team, playing all over the diamond and slotted in all over the lineup card. His defense has declined sharply the last two seasons, perhaps because he’s been moved around so much, and this year, he’s mainly played second base and the corner outfield spots. However, his versatility (in both halves of innings) made him appealing to multiple teams.

One of those teams turned out to be the Cubs, whose struggles to cobble together a functional bench this year have held them back as the grind of the season has caught up to some of their everyday players. To add Castro to their positional rotation, Chicago sent Minnesota Double-A arms Ryan Gallagher and Sam Armstrong, according to Jesse Rogers of ESPN.

Gallagher is the headliner here. He's been an arm on the rise throughout the season, climbing the ranks of the Chicago farm system after being the team's sixth-round pick in the MLB Draft last summer. In 84 innings at High-A South Bend and Double-A Knoxville, Gallagher has a 3.43 ERA and 96 strikeouts, against 20 walks. He's exactly the kind of arm with whom the Twins do well, and he's already found some success in Double A.

Armstrong, 23, has also held his own in Knoxville, but he was a 13th-round pick in 2023 and doesn't have Gallagher's impressive peripheral stats. He looks like more of a candidate for a quick move to the bullpen, where his stuff might tick up and play better.

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[BH67]

Three Mile Island, the sequel.

[CRF]

Castro has to be the last one. They really cleaned house big time today. Wow...just wow! I bet the Pohlad's are just giddy!

[AceBee]

I hope we try to sign him back at the end of the season

[LastOnePicked]

TD writers are going to have a terrible case of writer's cramp after today. I feel for you all.

[AugieOjedaFanboy]

I'm half expecting to hear that the Twins have traded Cory Provus to the Cubs for the Iowa Cubs pbp guy.

[Guest]

After Correa and Duran (who we got as part of the Escobar mid-season fire sale), it's been rentals for prospects.  Coulombe, Castro and Bader (a terrific bet by Zoll) all may be resigned next year....

[Patzky]

3 minutes ago, CRF said:

Castro has to be the last one. They really cleaned house big time today. Wow...just wow! I bet the Pohlad's are just giddy!

I don't know man the Ryan to Boston drums are getting loud

[FlyingFinn]

The Twins are lucky they aren't playing right now. You just got traded, you go in. You just got traded...... wait, who is left to go in?

[LastOnePicked]

DO NOT TRADE TARGET FIELD, DEREK!!!

[twinstalker]

If Ryan did go to Boston, it's 100% there's a Vazquez/Wong swap as part of it.

[SarasotaBill]

Gallagher looks good from the Cubs.

[twinzcynic]

13 minutes ago, LastOnePicked said:

TD writers are going to have a terrible case of writer's cramp after today. I feel for you all.

I don't feel as bad for the writer's cramping as I do for the tap-dancing most of the writers will have to do. Most of them were touting "bESt bULlpen in baseBAll" and "the pitching pipeline is strong" amongst many other falsehoods. The cardio they're going to get will be unbearable for all but the most cynical.

[IndyTwinsFan]

12 minutes ago, Patzky said:

I don't know man the Ryan to Boston drums are getting loud

I also wouldn't be surprised to see them put Pablo on the market this coming off-season.  Under the premise: Why stop now?

[strumdatjag]

My first thought is that Castro is the one I would most like to see signed for next year.  

[mikelink45]

It is 5:01 isn't it over?

[twinstalker]

22 minutes ago, LastOnePicked said:

TD writers are going to have a terrible case of writer's cramp after today. I feel for you all.

That's why they use cursive.

[twinstalker]

Jax dealt to TB!!!!!!

[Nashvilletwin]

Jax to the Rays.  

[LastOnePicked]

1 minute ago, twinstalker said:

That's why they use cursive.

That's the language my ol' Dad uses when he watches the Twins.

[Ghost of Kirby Puckett]

Varland and France gone also. To the Blue Jays.

[Sjoski]

Is the dumpster 🔥 finally out will Willi being the last to go?

This seems so different than 2018, that was a housecleaning followed by the 2019 that won 100+ games.

2025? This feels like an evacuation.

It might take 2026 and 2027 to win 100 games.

[The Great Hambino]

47 minutes ago, LastOnePicked said:

DO NOT TRADE TARGET FIELD, DEREK!!!

If he did, it would be for 3 independent league parks and another LH hitting outfielder that can't hit

[Dman]

Ryan Gallagher for Castro might be the best return they got got an expiring deal.  Good fastball, Slider and change and great K rate. It's a good solid arm.  You can see there was competition for Castro as they managed to snag a top 10 prospect.

Armstrong seems pretty average, but maybe the Twins see something they can fix.  If nothing else he can be placeholder arm so that other AA arms can move up.

Great trade wish I could feel this way about all of them.

[DJL44]

Quote

ESPN.com’s Jesse Rogers specifies those players as minor league pitchers Ryan Gallagher and Sam Armstrong.

 

[Danchat]

Seems like a fair return for two months of Castro - I think the Bader and Castro deals have had the best returns based on what we gave up.

[RaoulDuke]

Gallagher looks like he could be interesting.

[Cagycat]

Massive overhaul of an entire roster! How sad 😔 looks to me like we traded away our whole team. Only two problems—we failed to trade away our two biggest problems Falvey and god forbid ROCCO BALDELLI

[Jeff K]

16 hours ago, Dman said:

Ryan Gallagher for Castro might be the best return they got got an expiring deal.  Good fastball, Slider and change and great K rate. It's a good solid arm.  You can see there was competition for Castro as they managed to snag a top 10 prospect.

Armstrong seems pretty average, but maybe the Twins see something they can fix.  If nothing else he can be placeholder arm so that other AA arms can move up.

Great trade wish I could feel this way about all of them.

I agree.  This won't be a popular perspective, but I felt like Willi was not himself the past couple of months.  His fielding has become average (at best).  Thankfully, he wasn't playing CF of SS because he was terrible there.  He made base running blunders and just did not seem like his head was in the game.  We got a solid return on this deal...unlike many of the others.  While on that...wth regarding Varland?  Dunderhead move.