Castillo inked a minor league contract with the Nationals earlier this year, but was released before appearing in a game at Triple-A Rochester. The 34-year-old outfielder, who signed a massive seven-year, $72.5 million contract with the Red Sox back in 2014, spent the 2021 campaign with the Rakuten Golden Eagles of Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball. He last appeared in the majors back in 2016.

Among the highest-profile international free agent busts in recent memory after inking a lucrative seven-year, $72.5 million contract with the Red Sox back in 2014, Castillo spent the 2021 season with the Rakuten Golden Eagles of Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball. The 34-year-old Cuban native, who last appeared in the majors in 2016, will likely open the 2022 season at Triple-A Rochester as organizational outfield depth.

The 33-year-old was a massive disappointment for the Red Sox after signing a seven-year, $72.5 million contract in 2014 -- ultimately slashing .262/.301/.379 with seven homers and 35 RBI over 337 plate appearances in just 99 big league games. Castillo hasn't played in a big league contest since 2016 and hit .278/.321/.448 with 17 homers and 64 RBI in 120 games at Triple-A Pawtucket in 2019. It's unclear if he'll attempt to use this opportunity as a springboard back to the big leagues, or if he plans to remain overseas.

One would think MLB could have stepped in here and made Castillo a free agent once the Red Sox wrote him off and sentenced him to spend the duration of his contract in Pawtucket for luxury tax purposes, but as these things tend to work, it would have taken the media to guilt them into it. Castillo is finally entering the last year of his seven-year, $72.5 million deal now. One can't really blame for the Red Sox for their part in this, given the luxury tax ramifications of putting him back on the 40-man roster, but Castillo deserves the same chance of playing in the majors that every other minor leaguer gets, even if his contract ensures that no one need feel too sorry for him.