Simón Alfonseca Castro (born April 9, 1988) is a Dominican former professional

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...

pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("Pitch (baseball), pitches") the Baseball (ball), baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of out (baseball), retiring a batter (baseball), batter, ...

. He played in

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...

(MLB) for the

Chicago White Sox The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The club plays its ...

Colorado Rockies The Colorado Rockies are an American professional baseball team based in Denver. The Rockies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Division. Th ...

, and

Oakland Athletics The Oakland Athletics (frequently referred to as the Oakland A's) were an American Major League Baseball (MLB) team based in Oakland, California from 1968 to 2024. The Athletics were a member club of the American League (AL) American League We ...

Career

San Diego Padres

Castro was signed by the

San Diego Padres The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team based in San Diego. The Padres compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Division. ...

as a free agent from the Dominican Republic in 2006. He was considered quite raw when signed, but the Padres liked his arm strength and projectability. After a poor pro debut in the Arizona Rookie League in '07, he was one of the better pitchers in the Northwest League in 2008, then broke out with a strong campaign in the Midwest League in '09. Named by

Baseball America ''Baseball America'' (BA) is a sports publication company that covers baseball at every level, including Major League Baseball (MLB), with a particular focus on up-and-coming players in Minor League Baseball (MiLB) college, high school, and inte ...

the top pitching prospect and 2nd overall prospect in the

Padres {{About, the Roman Catholic priests' organization, other uses, Padres (disambiguation) ''Padres Asociados para Derechos Religiosos, Educativos, y Sociales'' ( Spanish for "Priests Associated for Religious, Education, and Social Rights") is a Chica ...

organization prior to the 2010 season, he spent most of the season with the

San Antonio Missions The San Antonio Missions are a Minor League Baseball team based in San Antonio, Texas. The Missions compete in the Texas League as the Double-A (baseball), Double-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres. The team plays its home games at Nelson W. W ...

of the

Texas League The Texas League is a Minor League Baseball league which has operated in the South Central United States since 1902. It is classified as a Double-A league. Despite the league's name, only its five South Division teams are actually based in the ...

before being promoted to Triple-A for his final 2 starts of the season. Following the 2010 season in which he went a combined 7–7 with a 3.28 ERA across 2 minor league stops, Castro was added to the Padres' 40 man roster to protect him from the

Rule 5 draft The Rule 5 draft is a Major League Baseball (MLB) player draft that occurs each year in December, at the annual Winter Meeting of general managers. The Rule 5 draft aims to prevent teams from stockpiling too many young players on their minor lea ...

Chicago White Sox

After struggling most of the 2011 season, on December 31, 2011, Castro, along with Pedro Hernández, were traded to the

for outfielder

Carlos Quentin Carlos José Quentin (born August 28, 1982) is an American former professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Arizona Diamondbacks, Chicago White Sox and San Diego Padres. In 2008 and 2011, Quentin was sele ...

. Castro split the 2012 season between the Triple-A

Charlotte Knights The Charlotte Knights are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox. They are located in Charlotte, North Carolina, and play their home games at Truist Field ...

and Double-A

Birmingham Barons The Birmingham Barons are a Minor League Baseball team based in Birmingham, Alabama. The team, which plays in the Southern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox and plays at Regions Field in downtown Birmingham. The Baron ...

without making a major league appearance. He was assigned to Charlotte to begin the 2013 season. On July 5, 2013, Castro made his Major League debut against the

Tampa Bay Rays The Tampa Bay Rays are an American professional baseball team based in the Tampa Bay area. The Rays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. They are one of two major ...

. He pitched three scoreless innings, giving up two hits, walked two and struck out four. Castro was outrighted off the White Sox roster on November 1, 2013. He elected free agency on November 4.

Colorado Rockies

On April 25, 2014, Castro signed with the

on a minor league deal. He did not play in a game in 2014 due to injury. On October 15, 2014, Castro re-signed with the Rockies organization on a minor league contract. Castro was assigned to the Triple-A

Albuquerque Isotopes The Albuquerque Isotopes are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Colorado Rockies. They play home games at Rio Grande Credit Union Field at Isotopes Park in Albuquerque, New Mexico, at an ...

to begin the season. After posting a 3.79 ERA and 5–5 record with 74 strikeouts in Albuquerque, on August 23, 2015, Castro was selected to the active roster. On October 14, 2015, he was outrighted off of the 40-man roster. He had posted a 6.11 ERA in 11 appearances for the club in 2015. He elected free agency on October 15. On October 19, 2015, Castro again re-signed with the Rockies on a minor league contract. He spent the season in Triple-A, pitching to a 3.38 ERA with 58 strikeouts in 50 appearances. Castro elected free agency following the season on November 7, 2016.

Oakland Athletics

On December 1, 2016, Castro signed a minor league contract with the

that included an invitation to spring training. He was assigned to the Triple-A

Nashville Sounds The Nashville Sounds are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. They are located in Nashville, Tennessee, Nashville, Tennessee, and are named for the ci ...

to begin the 2017 season. Castro pitched the ninth inning of a combined

no-hitter In baseball, a no-hitter or no-hit game is a game in which a team does not record a hit (baseball), hit through conventional methods. Major League Baseball (MLB) officially defines a no-hitter as a completed game in which a team that batted in ...

against the

Omaha Storm Chasers The Omaha Storm Chasers are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Kansas City Royals. They are located in Papillion, Nebraska, a suburb southwest of Omaha, Nebraska, Omah ...

on June 7, 2017. Starter Chris Smith pitched the first six innings and was then followed by

Sean Doolittle Sean Robert Doolittle (born September 26, 1986) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Oakland Athletics, Washington Nationals, Cincinnati Reds, and Seattle Mariners. He won the 201 ...

, Tucker Healy, and Castro who each pitched one inning. Castro made 26 appearances for Oakland in 2017, recording a 4.38 ERA with 35 strikeouts. He was outrighted to Triple-A on November 5, 2017, and then elected to become a free agent. On January 10, 2018, Castro re-signed with the Athletics on a minor league contract that included an invitation to Spring Training. He made 6 relief appearances with Triple-A Nashville, amassing a 7.56 ERA, before being released on May 3.

Sugar Land Skeeters

On June 16, 2018, Castro signed with the

Sugar Land Skeeters The Sugar Land Space Cowboys are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Houston Astros Major League Baseball club. They are located in Sugar Land, Texas, part of the G ...

of the

Atlantic League of Professional Baseball The Atlantic League of Professional Baseball (ALPB) is a professional independent baseball league in the United States. It is an official MLB Partner League based in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern United States, and the headquarters are l ...

. In 2 games for Sugar Land, he struggled to a 9.00 ERA with 2 strikeouts over 2 innings of relief. Castro was released by the Skeeters on August 17.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Castro, Simon 1988 births Living people Albuquerque Isotopes players Arizona League Padres players Birmingham Barons players Bristol White Sox players Charlotte Knights players Chicago White Sox players Colorado Rockies players Dominican Republic expatriate baseball players in the United States Dominican Summer League Padres players Eugene Emeralds players Fort Wayne TinCaps players Major League Baseball players from the Dominican Republic 21st-century Dominican Republic sportsmen Major League Baseball pitchers Nashville Sounds players Oakland Athletics players Portland Beavers players San Antonio Missions players Sugar Land Skeeters players Tigres del Licey players Toros del Este players Tucson Padres players People from San Pedro de Macorís Province