Rockies sign 2024 All-Star to two-year deal

One of the very few true super-utility men and an All-Star at that, will play for the Colorado Rockies this summer.

The Rockies have agreed to a two-year contract worth $12.8 million with switch-hitting utility man Willi Castro, according to multiple reports on Thursday. In doing so, they add a 2024 American League All-Star to a roster in need of versatility.

Castro, 29 in April, becomes the latest addition under the new front office regime led by Paul DePodesta and Josh Byrnes, who took the reins after the club parted ways with longtime general manager Bill Schmidt at the end of last season.

The Puerto Rico native made history in 2024 as the first player in American League/National League history to play at least 20 games at second base, shortstop, third base, left field and center field in a single season. That defensive flexibility is precisely what drew Colorado’s interest in a player capable of filling lineup holes across the diamond at Coors Field.

“When I got to Detroit, that’s when they tabbed me to be a utility guy — play the outfield, play the infield,” Castro, the former Tiger, said when he was named an All-Star in July 2024. “I became really good at it, and obviously, I became the Willi Castro that I am today, the utility player that I am today, because of my dedication and the work that I put in every position.”

Castro slashed .247/.331/.385 with 12 home runs and 14 stolen bases during his All-Star campaign with Minnesota, earning the Twins’ team MVP award. His 2025 wasn’t so great, a sub-zero WAR player entering free agency who was dealt at the deadline to the playoff-bound Cubs. He batted just .170 for the team down the stretch and was only used as a defensive replacement in the playoffs, not earning any trips to the plate.

Even with his struggles last season, Castro has still had a better OPS+ in each of the last four seasons than the Rockies, who were worst in the majors at 80. Castro’s ability to hit from both sides of the plate and slot in at virtually any position gives manager Warren Schaefer a capable player for any position on the field, a role they haven’t truly havent had since Garrett Hampson, and Castro is much more successful.

Castro joins 2023 All-Star right-handed pitcher Michael Lorenzen and left-handed outfielder Jake McCarthy among Colorado’s offseason additions as the organization continues its rebuild under new leadership.

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