Veteran pitcher Miguel Castro joins the Los Angeles Angels' bullpen mix, adding significant MLB experience and a potent four-pitch arsenal to a potentially volatile relief corps.
The Los Angeles Angels have added another piece to their bullpen on Thursday with the signing of right-handed pitcher Miguel Castro to a minor league deal, as reported by Jon Heyman of the New York Post.
Castro, 31, has played at the major league level for 11 seasons, including six games with the Chicago White Sox in 2025. Over the course of his career, Castro has logged over 466 innings on the mound. Though his deal with the Angels is a minor league one, he’ll be fighting for a spot on the major league roster during spring training.
At 6’7”, Castro gets great extension and demands attention when he steps on the mound. Over his career, he’s recorded a career ERA of 4.24 and a 1.39 WHIP. He offers a four-pitch arsenal that includes a four-seam fastball that averages out at 95.1 mph, an 83.7 mph slider, a 95.3 mph sinker, and an 88.7 mph changeup.
His slider was his go-to pitch over the past few seasons, but he saw a spike in his four-seamer usage during his 2025 season that ended prematurely after tearing his patellar tendon. Castro was at his best with a one-two punch with his slider and sinker, something that Angels' new pitching coach Mike Maddux is sure to emphasize during camp.
The Angels have already added three major league arms to their bullpen this offseason in Drew Pomeranz, Kirby Yates, and Jordan Romano. Though Castro’s spot on the Opening Day roster is far from guaranteed, his decade-plus experience in the MLB provides the Halos with an additional depth option.
Relievers Robert Stephenson, Sam Bachman, and the previously mentioned Pomeranz and Romero are all somewhat Wild Cards in the Halos’ bullpen next season. Stephenson missed most of 2025 after missing all of 2024, making his level of production a question mark when he returns to action this season. Bachman saw a huge spike in his ERA from 3.18 in 2023 to 6.20 in 2025.
Pomeranz joins the Halos after a stellar 2.17 ERA campaign, but it was his first season at the MLB level since 2021, leaving room for concern about the 37-year-old’s ability to maintain such a high level. Romano had a poor 2025 campaign himself, recording an 8.23 ERA in 49 games. The hope is that Romano can get back to his 2020-2023 form, in which he pitched four consecutive seasons of sub-3.00 ERA baseball.
There’s a lot of optimism to be had about the Angels’ bullpen additions from this offseason, but there’s also serious question marks about how well it will play out when the season gets underway. If key Angels relievers fail to pitch at the level expected of them, their newest signing, Castro, provides the club with a great veteran option to turn to.