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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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