Castro Adds Shortstop Depth For Indians

CLEVELAND—Not too long ago, the Indians system lacked middle-infield prospects, specifically shortstops. Not anymore.

Beginning with Francisco Lindor, who tore through the system and reached the big leagues at 21 last season, the pipeline is now filled with shortstops, though the presence of Lindor may result in position changes.

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The latest, and youngest, prospect to enter the picture is Willi Castro who is playing shortstop at low Class A Lake County at age 18. He hit .297/.301/.451 through his first 21 games.

Despite his youth, Castro is in his third year in the organization, and he has improved each season. In the Rookie-level Arizona League in 2014 he hit .239/.285/.348 in 43 games. In 2015 at short-season Mahoning Valley he hit .264/.304/.330 in 67 games.

“Willi has handled himself very well at an early age,” farm director Carter Hawkins said. “He did a great job of getting stronger this offseason, and we’re excited about how that extra strength will play, along with the agility and quickness he already possesses.”

All of those qualities showed in Castro’s first month at Lake County.

Also in evidence are the shortstops lined up in the system ahead of Castro. The list includes Erik Gonzalez at Triple-A Columbus, Eric Stamets at Double-A Akron and Yu-Cheng Chang at high Class A Lynchburg. There will be plenty of time down the road to consider a position switch, if necessary, for Castro.

“At this point we’re focused on building a solid foundation with his work and routines on and off the field,” Hawkins said. “We’ll let the decisions about versatility play themselves out over time.”

When necessary, the Indians have made such changes, with one recent example being Dorssys Paulino. He followed Lindor as the shortstop at Lake County in 2013 and played two years at shortstop before being moved to left field.

SMOKE SIGNALS

• Through the first month of the season, Lynchburg first baseman Bobby Bradley led the Carolina League with 23 RBIs and ranked second with six home runs. He led the low Class A Midwest League in both categories last year.

• The Indians optioned outfielder Collin Cowgill to Columbus on April 20 to make room for Lonnie Chisenhall, who was activated from the disabled list.