Rusney Castillo Stats & Scouting Report

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The Red Sox won the bidding war for Castillo's services with the largest guarantee ever conferred upon a player from Cuba, signing him in August to a contract through 2020 for $72.5 million. His first game action in roughly a year and a half was singularly impressive given the layoff, as Castillo was able to show the diverse skill set that convinced the Sox to project him as an everyday outfielder. Castillo checks a lot of boxes. He has a big swing that permits him to generate above-average raw power (with perhaps 20-home run potential) yet he has the hand-eye coordination to limit his swings and misses, even with an aggressive approach. He also showed the ability to learn and adjust, implementing a leg kick as a timing mechanism in September that paid immediate dividends with a pair of homers. Defensively, he runs strong routes and shows the speed to have above-average range. His arm is average, perhaps a tick below, but his fundamentals, quick release and accuracy permit it to play well. His speed doesn't play out of the box due to his swing, but he has 20/20 potential. The Sox signed Castillo to be an everyday outfielder, most likely in center, starting in 2015. At the least, his complement of skills creates the likelihood of an average center fielder, with upside well beyond that.

Castillo did not make the instant impact that the Red Sox envisioned after signing the Cuban defector and former Serie Nacional star in August 2014 for $72.5 million, but he did show flashes of being an impact outfielder by season's end. Castillo's first full season in the U.S. got off to a rough start. He missed time in spring training with an oblique injury and then opened the season at Pawtucket, only to miss two weeks after suffering a shoulder injury diving for a ball in his third game. Castillo wows observers in batting practice with tremendous bat speed and raw power but often struggles to translate it into games. Pitchers exploited him early with fastballs in on his hands and breaking balls down and away before he made adjustments and displayed a better two-strike approach by driving the ball to right field. He hit his stride in August, batting .338 with Boston before slumping in September and returning to the sidelines with a quad injury. Castillo lived up to expectations defensively, showing the speed, instincts and arm strength to play all three positions in the outfield. He has above-average speed but didn't take advantage of it regularly on the bases.