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Per John Blake, the Texas Rangers have non-tendered righthanded pitcher Fabio Castillo. All other Ranger players on the 40 man roster have been tendered contracts.
This is a surprising non-tender, because most players who are non-tendered are arbitration-eligible, and the team doesn't want to pay the player what they are likely to get in arbitration. That rationale led some to believe Mark Lowe, or possibly David Murphy, could end up getting non-tendered.
Castillo is not arbitration eligible, and thus it appears this decision is procedural in nature rather than financial. Castillo, who turns 23 in February, is a live-armed righthander who was added to the 40 man roster last offseason, but who struggled mightily in Frisco in 2011:
| Year | Age | Tm | Lg | Lev | Aff | W | L | G | GS | GF | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | R | ER | HR | BB | IBB | SO | HBP | BK | WP | BF | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 17 | 2 Teams | 2 Lgs | FRk-Rk | TEX | 1 | 4 | .200 | 3.10 | 8 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 29.0 | 22 | 13 | 10 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 41 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 124 | 1.241 | 6.8 | 0.0 | 4.3 | 12.7 | 2.93 |
| 2006 | 17 | Rangers | ARIZ | Rk | TEX | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 1.000 | 3.0 | 0.0 | 6.0 | 12.0 | 2.00 | |
| 2006 | 17 | Rangers | DOSL | FRk | TEX | 1 | 4 | .200 | 3.46 | 7 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 26.0 | 21 | 13 | 10 | 0 | 12 | 37 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 112 | 1.269 | 7.3 | 0.0 | 4.2 | 12.8 | 3.08 | |
| 2007 | 18 | Spokane | NORW | A- | TEX | 3 | 5 | .375 | 5.92 | 14 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 62.1 | 73 | 46 | 41 | 4 | 27 | 0 | 46 | 8 | 0 | 5 | 294 | 1.604 | 10.5 | 0.6 | 3.9 | 6.6 | 1.70 |
| 2008 | 19 | Clinton | MIDW | A | TEX | 2 | 5 | .286 | 5.28 | 36 | 7 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 90.1 | 88 | 65 | 53 | 11 | 47 | 0 | 78 | 1 | 0 | 16 | 395 | 1.494 | 8.8 | 1.1 | 4.7 | 7.8 | 1.66 |
| 2009 | 20 | Hickory | SALL | A | TEX | 3 | 6 | .333 | 4.05 | 40 | 2 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 80.0 | 87 | 45 | 36 | 5 | 25 | 3 | 67 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 360 | 1.400 | 9.8 | 0.6 | 2.8 | 7.5 | 2.68 |
| 2010 | 21 | 2 Teams | 2 Lgs | A+-AA | TEX | 1 | 3 | .250 | 2.11 | 39 | 0 | 21 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 55.1 | 44 | 17 | 13 | 2 | 30 | 1 | 67 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 237 | 1.337 | 7.2 | 0.3 | 4.9 | 10.9 | 2.23 |
| 2010 | 21 | Bakersfield | CALL | A+ | TEX | 1 | 3 | .250 | 1.92 | 36 | 0 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 51.2 | 41 | 15 | 11 | 2 | 26 | 1 | 65 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 219 | 1.297 | 7.1 | 0.3 | 4.5 | 11.3 | 2.50 |
| 2010 | 21 | Frisco | TL | AA | TEX | 0 | 0 | 4.91 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3.2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 18 | 1.909 | 7.4 | 0.0 | 9.8 | 4.9 | 0.50 | |
| 2011 | 22 | Frisco | TL | AA | TEX | 3 | 6 | .333 | 6.36 | 42 | 0 | 25 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 52.1 | 58 | 40 | 37 | 6 | 23 | 1 | 37 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 237 | 1.548 | 10.0 | 1.0 | 4.0 | 6.4 | 1.61 |
| 6 Seasons | 13 | 29 | .310 | 4.63 | 179 | 30 | 71 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 369.1 | 372 | 226 | 190 | 28 | 166 | 5 | 336 | 22 | 0 | 37 | 1647 | 1.457 | 9.1 | 0.7 | 4.0 | 8.2 | 2.02 | |||||
| A (2 seasons) | A | 5 | 11 | .313 | 4.70 | 76 | 9 | 25 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 170.1 | 175 | 110 | 89 | 16 | 72 | 3 | 145 | 5 | 0 | 20 | 755 | 1.450 | 9.2 | 0.8 | 3.8 | 7.7 | 2.01 | ||||
| AA (2 seasons) | AA | 3 | 6 | .333 | 6.27 | 45 | 0 | 26 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 56.0 | 61 | 42 | 39 | 6 | 27 | 1 | 39 | 5 | 0 | 9 | 255 | 1.571 | 9.8 | 1.0 | 4.3 | 6.3 | 1.44 | ||||
| FRk (1 season) | FRk | 1 | 4 | .200 | 3.46 | 7 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 26.0 | 21 | 13 | 10 | 0 | 12 | 37 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 112 | 1.269 | 7.3 | 0.0 | 4.2 | 12.8 | 3.08 | |||||
| Rk (1 season) | Rk | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 1.000 | 3.0 | 0.0 | 6.0 | 12.0 | 2.00 | |||||
| A- (1 season) | A- | 3 | 5 | .375 | 5.92 | 14 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 62.1 | 73 | 46 | 41 | 4 | 27 | 0 | 46 | 8 | 0 | 5 | 294 | 1.604 | 10.5 | 0.6 | 3.9 | 6.6 | 1.70 | ||||
| A+ (1 season) | A+ | 1 | 3 | .250 | 1.92 | 36 | 0 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 51.2 | 41 | 15 | 11 | 2 | 26 | 1 | 65 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 219 | 1.297 | 7.1 | 0.3 | 4.5 | 11.3 | 2.50 | ||||
Normally, if the Rangers wanted to remove Castillo from the 40 man roster, they would have to run him through waivers and then outright him; however, there is a good chance Castillo would be claimed. So instead, the Rangers have simply non-tendered Castillo, making him a free agent. I suspect that the Rangers and Castillo have already agreed on the terms of a minor league contract which will pay him an amount similar to what he'd have gotten on the 40 man roster, but which saves the Rangers from burning an option on him this year, thus giving them more development time with him.
The Rangers made a similar move with Doug Mathis a few years ago, non-tendering him and then immediately re-signing him, in order to free up a 40 man roster spot.