Royals sign utility player Harold Castro to a minor league deal

The Royals bring in another potential bench option.

The Royals announced they have signed utility player Harold Castro to a minor league deal with an invitation to spring training. The 31-year-old is a six-year MLB vet with the Tigers and Rockies and has played every position on the field except catcher. For his career he has hit .278/.303/.366 with 16 home runs in 450 games.

Castro was originally signed by the Tigers out of Venezuela and made his MLB debut in 2018. His best season came in 2022 when he hit .271/.300/.381 with seven home runs in 443 plate appearances. He was non-tendered by the Tigers after that season and spent a year with the Rockies. He spent last year with the Toros de Tijuana of the Mexican League and hit .332 with 15 home runs in 51 games in the Venezuelan Winter League this off-season.

Castro gives the Royals another left-handed bench option, something J.J. Picollo said he was seeking. He will compete for a roster spot with some other left-handed utility players the Royals have acquired this off-season like Braden Shewmake and Cavan Biggio.