Whatever Cubs fans thought of Jed Hoyer’s work at the trade deadline, they couldn’t help but acknowledge one instant impact.
Willi Castro, the utility man acquired in a deadline deal with the Twins, made an immediate impression in his Cubs debut Saturday, getting two hits, including a triple, and scoring twice in the team’s 4-3 loss to the Orioles at Wrigley Field.
Castro, who played second base — Nico Hoerner started at shortstop on a rare day off for Dansby Swanson — credited A.J. Hinch, his manager with the Tigers in 2021 and 2022, for turning him into a baseball Swiss Army Knife.
“It opens more doors for you, being capable of playing all the positions; not everybody can do that,” Castro said Friday. “Wherever they’re going to put me, I’m going to get the job done.
“A.J. Hinch, he was the one who decided I would go to the outfield. He asked me if I could play outfield. I said, ‘Of course. As long as I’m playing.’ . . . Practicing every day, I got really good at it.”
That evolution should pay dividends for Castro’s new manager, Craig Counsell, who can get an awful lot out of one roster spot. Having played everywhere but catcher and first base this season, Castro can spell Cubs regulars all over the field as the team looks to best position itself for a deep October run. A switch hitter, he’s versatile at the plate, too.
“That’s kind of what we were looking for,” Counsell said. “We have a pretty regular group, and it feels like Willi, as we go through this stretch in August, with a lot of games and the nature of [how teams are feeling at] Game 110, he can fill in that position.
“Those are hard players to find. There aren’t many of those players out there.”
Castro looked good at second base, making a stellar play when he charged hard on a softly hit grounder and got the out with a glove flip to first.
At the plate, Castro singled in his first at-bat. He would’ve scored easily from first on Hoerner’s smash into the left-field corner had it not rolled into the ivy, forcing him to stop at third.
He scored on catcher Reese McGuire’s sacrifice fly.
Then the new North Sider showed off his speed in his second trip to the plate, tripling on a line drive and scoring on a single by Hoerner.
Castro, an All-Star last season, has been an above-average major-league hitter the last three seasons, and that ought to boost a bench that has struggled to find production from its backups. Justin Turner (70 OPS-plus) and Jon Berti (47) have failed to generate much offense. Same with Vidal Brujan (52), who was designated for assignment last week.
“His versatility has been well-covered, but it’s real,” Hoerner said. “And it’s incredibly helpful for a group down the stretch as guys inevitably deal with little things and need days [off]. He’s a quality starting player at a bunch of different places. The energy he brings, too, he’s a very positive, upbeat guy. . . . A great intro today for him.”
The type of championship run the Cubs are looking to make often requires big contributions from role players.
Castro could prove to be the perfect man for the job and help deliver on big expectations in Wrigleyville.
“I feel like I’m home,” Castro said. “It feels great to be here. Hopefully, we’ll keep playing the way that the guys have been playing. Let’s win it all.”