This was the year Luis Castillo was going to establish himself as the ace of the Cincinnati Reds. He was their beacon of hope for the future of the pitching staff. The player who was supposed to fill the enormous shoes left behind by Johnny Cueto three years ago.
It was easy to get excited about La Piedra’s electric right arm after watching the Tim Adlemans and Asher Wojciechowskis of the world take the mound for much of last year. Castillo represented hope for the future — a light at the end of the seemingly endless rebuild tunnel.