The December 2016 signing of Welington Castillo was one of the first of the offseason and indicated Dan Duquette’s firm decision that Beef was the man he wanted behind the plate this year. The team targeted Castillo soon after the Diamondbacks surprisingly non-tendered him two weeks earlier, making him a free agent.
And despite Castillo’s second trip to the disabled list this week, Duquette’s decision is paying off. Through Wednesday’s games, among AL catchers with at least 100 at-bats, Welington ranks first in batting average (.317) and third in OPS (.805).
He’s also played solid defense and handles the pitching staff to rave reviews from Buck Showalter.