Padres Continue Stocking Up, Acquire Jason Castro From Angels

Image credit: Jason Castro (Bob Levey/Getty)

Sniffing their first postseason berth since 2006, the Padres continue to stock up at the trade deadline.

The Padres acquired catcher Jason Castro from the Angels for minor league reliever Gerardo Reyes on Sunday afternoon. It was their third veteran acquisition in 24 hours after acquiring closer Trevor Rosenthal from the Royals on Saturday and slugger Mitch Moreland from the Red Sox earlier Sunday.

Castro, 33, signed with the Angels last offseason but played only 18 games for them before being dealt.

PADRES ACQUIRE:

Jason Castro, C
Age: 33

Castro is mostly known for his defense as an above-average receiver with a strong arm capable of keeping a running game in check. He doesn’t offer much as a hitter with a .231/.313/.390 career slash line, but that’s still markedly better than the abysmal .146/.228/.291 line Padres catchers have hit this season. Castro will pair with Austin Hedges to give the Padres two defensively-capable catchers, and his better bat gives him a chance to get significant reps behind the plate if he performs. 

ANGELS ACQUIRE

Gerardo Reyes, RHP
Age: 27

Reyes is a high-effort, hard-throwing reliever who can touch 100 mph but lacks command. He made his major league debut last season and allowed 22 earned runs in 26 innings, although he also struck out 38 batters. Reyes’ fastball sits at 97 mph and his slider is a wipeout, swing-and-miss pitch in the upper 80s. It’s swing-and-miss stuff, but he often leaves his fastball up over the heart of the plate and gets crushed. Despite his premium velocity, opponents hit .296 with a .593 slugging percentage against his fastball last year. Reyes has the stuff to blow opponents away. Whether he can improve his fastball command will determine if he sticks in the Angels bullpen.