Boston Red Sox Claim Kansas City Royals Pitcher Max Castillo Off the Waiver Wire

Max Castillo is set to join his third team in three years, as the Boston Red Sox have taken a flier on the former Kansas City Royals and Toronto Blue Jays reliever.

The Boston Red Sox have claimed right-handed pitcher Max Castillo off waivers from the Kansas City Royals, the teams announced Tuesday afternoon.

Castillo got his start as an international free agent who signed with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2015. Toronto sent Castillo and utility man Samad Taylor to the Royals at the 2022 MLB Trade Deadline to acquire All-Star infielder/outfielder Whit Merrifield.

Max Castillo five strong innings in Royals debut

Kansas City designated Castillo for assignment on Dec. 19 in order to make room for headliner free agent addition Hunter Renfroe.

Castillo made his big league debut in 2022, posting a 3.05 ERA and 0.968 WHIP in nine outings with the Blue Jays. After getting traded to the Royals, however, Castillo went 0-2 with a 1.768 WHIP as a back-end starter.

The Royals used Castillo as a long reliever in 2023, first activating the righty in May.

Castillo was firing on all cylinders through his first three appearances of the season, boasting a 2.89 ERA in 9.1 innings to that point. After getting rocked by the Chicago White Sox on May 21, however, Castillo was optioned to Triple-A.

Following one MLB outing in July and two more in August, Castillo ended 2023 with an 0-1 record, 4.43 ERA and 1.426 WHIP.

The Red Sox may have just traded longtime ace Chris Sale to the Atlanta Braves, muddying the waters on their starting rotation, but they still have enough options to keep Castillo coming out of the bullpen. The 24-year-old also has one option remaining, meaning Boston doesn’t necessarily have to keep Castillo on the major league roster for all of 2024.