The Phillies have acquired right-handed pitcher Max Castillo from the Boston Red Sox via waivers, a transaction announced by Phillies President of Baseball Operations David Dombrowski. To accommodate Castillo on the 40-man roster, outfielder Simón Muzziotti has been designated for assignment.
Castillo, 24, spent last season in the Kansas City Royals organization, making seven relief appearances for the Royals and 22 appearances (21 starts) with triple-A Omaha. Between both teams, Castillo combined to go 6-8 with a 4.56 ERA (69 ER, 136.1 IP), 37 walks, and 104 strikeouts. He posted a 3.36 strikeout-to-walk ratio (94 SO, 28 BB) with Omaha, which ranked fourth-best in the International League.
In his major league career, the Caracas, Venezuela native has made 21 appearances (6 starts) with the Toronto Blue Jays and Kansas City, finishing 0-3 with a 5.43 ERA (36 ER, 59.2 IP) with 47 strikeouts and 24 walks.
Originally signed by Toronto as an amateur free agent in 2015, the 6-foot-2, 280-pound righty has pitched in 136 minor league games (124 starts), going 52-26 with a 4.04 ERA (294 ER, 654.2 IP), 590 strikeouts, 189 walks, and a 1.27 WHIP while holding batters to a .255 average (645-2528).
Muzziotti, 25, spent last season with triple-A Lehigh Valley where he hit .296 with seven homers and 61 RBIs. He also stole 26 bases. He made nine appearances with the Phillies in 2022, going 1-for-7 at the plate. He just wrapped up playing for Zulia in the Venezuelan Winter League, hitting .263 over 44 games while posting a .652 OPS.
