Giants acquire utility man Proctor in trade with Rays, DFA Castro originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea
SAN FRANCISCO — For the second time this year, the Giants went shopping for a Ford.
In a minor move made one day before MLB’s trade deadline, the Giants acquired utility man Ford Proctor from the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for Triple-A pitcher Jeremy Walker. The biggest surprise was the corresponding move. Right-handed reliever Kervin Castro was DFA’d to clear a 40-man spot less than a year after his strong September put him on the playoff roster.
Proctor, 25, was a third-round pick out of Rice in 2018 and has posted a .256/.365/.374 slash line in the minors. He had a .635 OPS in Triple-A this year with six homers, but what really might have caught the Giants’ eye was his defensive profile. Proctor was drafted as an infielder and has extensive experience at second, short and third, but he started catching last year and that has been his primary position this year.
Versatility has always been a draw for this Giants front office and Proctor joins Yermín Mercedes as Giants additions who have catching in their toolbox. (He joins Mike Ford as acquired Fords, although Mike was later DFA’d.)
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The corresponding move was a surprise given Castro’s past, but not his 2022 results. The 23-year-old right-hander shot through the system with fellow relievers Camilo Doval and Gregory Santos, and for a while, it looked like Castro might be the first to make an impact. He made 10 appearances for the Giants last year and did not allow an earned run, pitching his way onto the postseason roster.
Castro showed up this spring noticeably slimmer, but his command was off and he has never been in serious consideration for the big league bullpen. In 29 Triple-A appearances, he had a 5.57 ERA and a very high walk rate, but he is still young and relatively inexperienced, having skipped two levels en route to the big leagues. If they had a second chance, the Giants probably would take a different path with his development.
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