Chicago Cubs: Ranking the greatest players of the last decade: #50-#41

Chicago Cubs: No. 47: Welington Castillo

A lot of Chicago Cubs fans have long since forgotten about many of the players from the 2010-2014 era. Yet many of the diehards out there probably remember the impact that Welington Castillo made, particularly in the 2013 and 2014 seasons.

Castillo signed as an undrafted free agent with the Cubs in 2004, and he finally made it to the majors with a couple of brief stints with the Cubs in 2010 and 2011. By the end of 2012, Castillo had become the Cubs’ main catcher, posting a .754 OPS while playing excellent defense behind the plate. Then, in 2013, over a full season he posted a .746 OPS while posting a tremendous 2.3 WAR on defense.

Castillo followed that up with another solid year in 2014, hitting 13 home runs and driving in 46 while having another solid defensive season. In the three years from 2012 to 2014, Castillo posted a 6.4 WAR overall.

Castillo started the 2015 season on the Cubs roster, though it was clear he didn’t have much of a future with the big league club after they had acquired both Miguel Montero and David Ross during the offseason. Sure enough, after he played in just 24 games early in the season, the Cubs traded Castillo to the Seattle Mariners.

The backstop battled through injuries in 2019 as a member of the Chicago White Sox and will test free agency this offseason. He’s also spent time with the Arizona Diamondbacks and Baltimore Orioles and has been a solid offensive and defensive catcher everywhere he’s been.