Blue Jays: Toronto Claims a Pair off Waivers

During a quiet few days in the baseball world, the Blue Jays announced Monday evening that they had made a pair of waiver claims on two right-handed pitchers.

As many fans await to hear where players such as George Springer, Trevor Bauer and J.T. Realmuto end up, Blue Jays fans will have to settle for a couple of waiver claims by their home team.

Monday evening the Blue Jays claimed 25-year old Anthony Castro from the Detroit Tigers and 26-year old Walker Lockett from the Seattle Mariners.

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Lockett is the more experienced of the two pitchers and has played for three different clubs over the last three seasons.  Lockett was a fourth round pick out of high school in 2012 and had been a starting pitcher coming up through the San Diego Padres organization.  He made his major league debut in 2018 as a starter, but struggled in his limited appearances.  After being acquired by the Cleveland Indians at the end of the 2018 season he was traded a few months later to the New York Mets. He had appeared in 11 games for the Mets over the last two seasons, but was placed on waivers this past September to which the Seattle Mariners claimed him.  Lockett made five appearances out of the bullpen for the Mariners to end the season and  allowed four runs in 8.1 innings with Seattle.  Lockett throws a fastball, curveball, changeup and cutter.

Castro signed as a 16-year old international free agent with the Tigers back in 2011 and has only played his baseball in the Detroit System.  He had Tommy John surgery back in 2015, which was a lost season for him.  He made his major league debut this past summer in an appearance he’d like to forget.  Castro was brought in during the ninth inning and gave up a two-run home run to Brett Phillips.  Castro had been a starting pitcher through the Tigers system and due to the COVID season had to jump from playing AA in 2019 straight to the major leagues in 2020.  Castro has still has a couple years of minor league options available, and has a high 90’s fastball.  Castro could still be a bit of a project and could be converted to a one inning pitcher.

Neither pitcher will move the needle for the Blue Jays this upcoming season, but both can be battle for back off the rotation spots.  With the winter meetings starting up, this likely won’t be the biggest news of the week.