The Minnesota Twins sit at 37-40 as we enter play on Monday, and they could have a player who the New York Yankees would benefit greatly from rostering.
Willi Castro, a switch-hitting utilityman who has experience all over the infield and outfield, is a free agent at the end of the season, and if Minnesota chooses to sell, he could be one of the pieces that go.
Sporting a 133 wRC+ and 1.0 WAR across 56 games, Castro has proven to be a valuable piece due to his bat and versatility, providing quality at-bats with tons of pull-side power.
Adding someone of his ilk would both boost the starting lineup and the bench, and we could be looking at the best fit for this infield in a market devoid of reliable options.
Why the Yankees Could Circle Back to the Twins About Willi Castro
A steady bat that is having an excellent 2025 campaign, Willi Castro has been a player involved in trade rumors for a few months now, as this past offseason felt like the time for Minnesota to consider trading him.
According to sources, the Yankees were among teams who displayed interest in Castro, and while the two sides never agreed to a deal, these kinds of conversations can help front offices understand a trade partner’s wants.
The Yankees publicly spoke about how their pursuit of Juan Soto at the 2023 trade deadline led to their acquisition of him in the subsequent offseason, and these two sides have completed a trade before.
Josh Donaldson and Isiah-Kiner Falefa (another player whom the Yankees may target per Bob Nightengale) came over to the Yankees in the now-maligned deal that saw Gary Sanchez and Gio Urshela head to Minnesota.
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With DJ LeMahieu playing solid baseball and Aaron Boone displaying a lot of faith in him based on how infrequently he pinch-hits for him, the team will continue to rotate the veteran infielder into the lineup.
Where I believe the Yankees are targeting an upgrade is with former top-100 prospect Oswald Peraza, a player who the team has never truly wrapped their arms around over the last few years.
Sporting a 46 wRC+ and -0.3 fWAR across 50 games this year, Peraza has not done himself any favors with the organization.
Oswaldo Cabrera’s ankle injury and the DFA of Pablo Reyes have left the team without a true utilityman, and Willi Castro could fill that role beautifully, moving Jazz Chisholm back to second base and potentially playing some outfield as well.
Willi Castro has started at second base, left field, right field, third base, shortstop, and centerfield this season, and if the Yankees can get him to continue pulling his flyballs, he’d be an excellent upgrade for the backend of the lineup.
The defense hasn’t been as sharp in the infield as we’re used to seeing, so I wonder if that causes the Yankees to look elsewhere, but they’ve shown interest in the past and the player has continued to be a positive contributor.
Versatility could be a trait the Yankees go after at the deadline knowing how their lineup could change based on who’s hitting well and who isn’t.
Pitching depth has once-again become a strength for the Yankees’ farm system, and that could entice a Twins’ team that will always seek cost-controlled pitching.
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