Cubs Trade Welington Castillo To Mariners For Yoervis Medina
(CBS) -- The Cubs have traded catcher Welington Castillo to the Seattle Mariners for right-hander Yoervis Medina, they announced Monday morning.
Medina, 26, has a 3.00 ERA in 12 appearances out of the Seattle bullpen this season and has posted a combined 2.82 ERA in 141 appearances over the past three seasons. In that stretch, he has struck out 140 batters in 137 innings while limiting foes to a .216 average. He has had a drop in velocity this season over years past.
Medina is a native of Venezuela who was signed as an amateur free agent by the Mariners in 2005.
The 28-year-old Castillo was hitting .163 with two homers, five RBIs and a .583 OPS in 24 games this season. With the Cubs carrying three catchers after for the first month-and-a-half of the season after a trade for Miguel Montero and the signing of David Ross, Jon Lester's personal catcher, Castillo's departure came as little surprise. Castillo had long been subject of trade rumors, and the Mariners had expressed interest on a number of occasions.
Castillo was Chicago's everyday catcher the past two seasons, but team officials had some doubts over his ability to handle a pitcher staff at a championship level. Castillo hit .237 with 13 homers and 46 RBIs in 110 games in 2014. He hit .274 with eight homers and 32 RBIs in 113 games in 2013.
A native of the Dominican Republic, Castillo was originally signed as an amateur free agent by the Cubs in 2004.