Angels send Castro to SD for reliever Reyes

The Angels made their second trade as sellers, sending catcher Jason Castro to the Padres for rookie reliever Gerardo Reyes.

Castro, who signed with the Angels as a free agent this past offseason, appeared in 18 games and was hitting .192/.323/.385 with two homers and six RBIs. Reyes, 27, has not pitched in the Majors this year, but the right-hander posted a 7.62 ERA with 38 strikeouts, 11 walks and three homers allowed in 26 innings in 2019. The hard thrower had a fastball that averaged 97 mph last year and also has a strong track record in five Minor League seasons with a career 3.23 ERA and 281 strikeouts in 248 innings pitched.

The Angels made their first trade as sellers on Friday, sending second baseman Tommy La Stella to the A’s for infielder Franklin Barreto. Castro is an impending free agent like La Stella. Shortstop Andrelton Simmons is also set to be a free agent after the season and has been involved in trade rumors.

Castro was signed to a one-year deal over the winter but with the Angels struggling this year, it made sense to trade him to a contender before Monday’s 1 p.m. PT Trade Deadline. Castro spoke to the media on Saturday and was aware that there was a possibility of him being dealt.

"It's out of my control," Castro said. "I try to try to focus on things that I can have an immediate impact on. Worrying about things outside of what you can control on a daily basis doesn't really help you much. So I continue to focus on the things to try to win ballgames day in and day out and then let things kinda happen as they may."

With Castro out, Anthony Bemboom becomes their primary catcher with Max Stassi on the injured list with a right quad strain and bruised right knee. Stassi is making progress, but Angels manager Joe Maddon didn’t have a timeline for his return on Sunday. The Angels are expected to add another catcher to their 40-man roster. José Briceño is the most likely candidate to be added.