Blue Jays Release Rodolfo Castro for Opportunity in NPB

[Leo Morgenstern]

According to the transaction log on Rodolfo Castro's MLB player page, the Toronto Blue Jays released the infielder on January 9. On Tuesday, 7 News reporter Ari Alexander reported that Castro was granted his release so he could sign with the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters of Nippon Professional Baseball.

Castro, 26, signed a minor league contract with the Blue Jays this past November. He played in the majors with the Pirates and Phillies from 2021-23.

Jays Centre's Jesse Burrill wrote about Castro in a roundup of minor league signings last month:

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If the name Rodolfo Castro stands out, you might remember him from a play in 2022 when his cellphone famously flew out of his back pocket during a headfirst slide into third base. The incident earned him a one-game suspension under MLB’s electronic device policy.

The now 26-year-old does have 194 MLB games under his belt, and although he hasn’t hit well (career 83 wRC+), Castro does still have a nice combination of power and speed. While he has played all over the infield, third base appears to be his best defensive fit.

Castro had been a switch-hitter his whole career, but gave it up to hit strictly right-handed in 2025. 

Featured image courtesy of Reinhold Matay, Imagn Images.

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