Soooo, a day after gutting the team by trading closer Kendall Graveman to the division-leading Astros, Jerry Dipoto made good on his statement that the move couldn’t be seen in isolation, and that he had plenty more irons in the fire. The M’s moved prospect 3B/1B Austin Shenton to Tampa Bay in exchange for new closer, Diego Castillo. Castillo’s a hard-throwing FB/SL righty who generates more whiffs and strikeouts than Graveman, but doesn’t have Graveman’s sinker, and thus his ground ball rate. Castillo’s arb eligible this coming off season, so could be with the M’s for several years.
So, the M’s raised the white flag the other day, and are now…taking it down?