Cincinnati Reds President of Baseball Operations, General Manager Dick Williams today announced the acquistions of Top 10 prospects RHP Luis Castillo, RHP Austin Brice and OF Isaiah White from the Miami Marlins in exchange for RHP Dan Straily.
Castillo, 24, in 2016 was the Marlins' Minor League Pitcher of the Year and the Florida State League Pitcher of the Year. He went a combined 8-6 with a 2.26 ERA in 26 games and 24 starts for Class A Jupiter and Class AA Jacksonville, and his ERA ranked third among all minor league pitchers with at least 24 starts. Castillo was rated by Baseball America Miami's second-best prospect and fifth-best by MLB.com.
"Castillo has a power arm, and we believe he is trending up. We think he has a very good chance to start or be a late inning reliever," Williams said. "He has improved his control over time while demonstrating plus velocity, which he can maintain deep into a game. He has the impact potential we were looking to add."
Brice, 24, is rated by MLB.com the Marlins' ninth-best prospect. He made his Major League debut in 2016, holding opponents to a .173 batting average in 15 games out of the Marlins' bullpen and was a Southern League All-Star for Class AA Jacksonville. Last season he combined to post a 4-7 record with a 2.74 ERA in 32 appearances and 13 starts split between Jacksonville and Class AAA New Orleans.
Williams said, "Brice showed promise as a starting pitching prospect in the minor leagues. We think that starting is a definite possibility given his size, durability and mix of pitches. Given the success he had as a reliever last year, we will evaluate him there as well. He represents another exciting young pitcher that adds to our depth."
White, 20, was ranked as Miami's 10th-best prospect by Baseball Prospectus and 16th-best prospect by MLB.com. In 2 seasons as a professional since being drafted in 2015 by the Marlins in the third round, he combined to hit .247 with 18 stolen bases in 89 games with Rookie GCL Marlins and Class A Batavia.
"White is a very athletic player with plus speed who is strong defensively. We liked him in the draft in 2015 and are excited to add another young athlete with upside to the system," Williams said.
Straily, 28, was claimed off waivers 3 days prior to 2016 Opening Day and was named the Reds' Most Outstanding Pitcher by the local chapter of the Baseball Writers' Association of America.He went 14-8 last season with Cincinnati with a 3.76 ERA in 34 appearances, including 31 starts.
Williams said, "The organization is extremely grateful for the contributions Dan made to our pitching staff in 2016. He made us better on and off the field. I talked to Dan today and wished him well during the next phase of his career."