2020 Angels in review: Jason Castro

The Angels signed Jason Castro last winter to help with their catching needs, and he did so before getting traded away.

In a season that was already truncated by a pandemic, any sort of slump can torpedo one’s numbers, especially someone like Castro splitting time behind the plate. Through August 11 (all of 10 games), Castro was hitting .267/.389/.600 with four doubles and two home runs. But in his next eight games he was just 2-for-22 (.091) with 14 strikeouts (and four walks) and no extra-base hits.

That led to a .192/.323/.385 line with the Angels, which counted as league average offensively in 2020 (a 100 wRC+). It was also much more productive than what the Angels got out of their catchers in 2019, just .221/.293/.344, a 72 wRC+.

Castro threw out four of the 11 runners who tried to steal against him while with the Angels, the 36.3-percent rate above his 26-percent career mark.

With the Angels going nowhere by the end of August and Castro a pending free agent, a trade could have been seen coming from a mile away. The Angels sent Castro to the Padres on August 30 in exchange for 27-year-old pitcher Gerardo Reyes.

2020 particulars

Age: 33

Stats: .192/.323/.385, 2 HR, 4 doubles in 18 games with Angels

Salary: $6.85 million

Game of the year

In the Angels’ 6-0 shutout of the A’s on August 11 in Anaheim, the big blow was a three-run home run by Castro in the fourth inning off Mike Fiers. Castro later added a double in the seventh inning, giving him five extra-base hits in his previous six games.

Roster status

Castro is a free agent.