Willi Castro Signs with Rockies, Three-Team Trade Goes Down: Fantasy Baseball Impact

Kyle Tucker signing with the Dodgers was the headline MLB transaction on Thursday, but a couple other notable moves happened.

Let's go over another free agent signing, then a three-team trade, discussing the real world and fantasy baseball impact of the two transactions.

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Willi Castro Signs with Rockies

Castro signed a two-year deal with Colorado worth $12.8 million.

The utility player is 28 years old and has played seven years in the big leagues between the Tigers, Twins and Cubs. Castro has played second and third base, shortstop and all three outfield spots over his career.

In a split season with the Twins and Tigers last year, he played 120 total games. He posted a .226 average and .313 on-base percentage. Castro is a career .244 hitter with a .313 OBP.

He had 91 hits last year, including 17 doubles, 11 homers and three home runs. Castro had 33 RBIs, 58 runs scored, 10 stolen bases, 40 walks and 111 strikeouts.

Castro has a chance at an everyday role with Colorado. He's projected to play third base, although his versatility should get him in the lineup consistently regardless.

Colorado isn't a very good team at this point, but there's some decent hitters when the team is healthy. Ezequiel Tovar, Hunter Goodman, Brenton Doyle and Jordan Beck are probably everyday players, while the rest of the lineup (outside Castro) is likely filled with platoons.

Even if he hits in the bottom third of the lineup, Castro could deliver decent fantasy marks. He'll have a chance to drive in some runs, but maybe be held back a bit in the runs scored department.

His best way to fantasy relevance is just hitting or getting on base. If he can do that, that position versatility will make him a worthwhile fantasy asset in a good amount of leagues.

The move doesn't really alter the fantasy outlooks for too many hitters, but it is a slight positive for most of them. The move is similar for the team as a whole in the real world.

I don't see Castro's signing bumping the Rockies into relevance, but they could win a few more games. After winning just 42 games last year, it's hard to get much worse.

Castro will probably be a better deep-league fantasy asset to kick off the season, but he's worth watching in case he's producing enough for some standard league adds and usage. That position versatility is helpful in all formats, so at least keep him in mind for 2026.

Three-Team Trade

The Reds, Angels and Rays swapped four players on Thursday.

Gavin Lux was sent from the Reds to the Rays, who also got Chris Clark from the Angels. The Angels got Josh Lowe from the Rays, and the Reds landed Brock Burke from the Angels.

Lux will be joining his third team in as many seasons. He has six years of MLB experience (five with the Dodgers and one with the Reds).

Lux played in 140 games last season, posting a .269 average and .350 OBP. He had 28 doubles, five homers and two triples among his 120 total hits. Lux also had 53 RBIs, 49 runs scored, a stolen base, 56 walks and 114 strikeouts.

That was one of his better seasons in the big leagues. He is projected to be a platoon player for the Rays, but as a left-handed hitter, he will be playing most days in that scenario. He's projected to hit at the top of the order, which is more impactful, of course.

Lux is another better deep-league fantasy asset, but if he plays more, or simply hits better, he could sneak into standard leagues. Lux is eligible at a few positions as well, so that bumps his fantasy stock a bit too.

Clark is not a top-30 prospect for Tampa Bay after the trade. The 24-year-old right-handed pitcher has topped out at Double-A.

He has three seasons of minor league experience, but is just 7-24 with a 5.25 earned run average over 56 games (54 starts) and 269 innings. Clark has 277 strikeouts, which is notable, but a 1.41 WHIP isn't good.

Tampa Bay has been a good system for up-and-coming pitchers, so maybe the organization can work some magic with Clark. He appears to be a couple years from a possible MLB debut, but he's one to keep in mind after the trade.

Lowe is the most recognizable name in the deal. The nearly 28-year-old outfielder has spent all five years of his big league career with Tampa Bay to this point.

He is a career .250 hitter and gets on base at a .306 clip. Over 108 games last year, Lowe had a .220 average and .283 OBP. Among his 87 hits, Lowe had 11 homers, 21 doubles and two triples, plus 40 RBIs, 56 runs scored, 18 stolen bases, 33 walks and 109 strikeouts.

He has pretty good all-around numbers, but games played is an issue. He has topped 110 games in just one season, and that was back in 2023.

Lowe is projected for a platoon role in Los Angeles, but again, as a lefty hitter, he'll be in the lineup enough to be a fantasy force. He just needs to stay healthy, so he's out there as much as possible.

The Angels have some decent hitters in their lineup, so Lowe could deliver some solid fantasy marks in 2026. He's probably on the outside of standard leagues to kick off the season, but could work into them with a healthy and productive year. Keep your eyes on him in standard leagues, and utilize him in deeper leagues.

Burke is a 26-year-old left-handed pitcher. The reliever has appeared in 214 games over six years (four with the Rangers and two with the Angels).

Burke has a 3.88 ERA over 264 1/3 career innings. He has a 21-12 record and has struck out 249 batters. Burke has a 1.25 WHIP. He hasn't earned a save over his career, but he's a source of holds and wins here and there.

He'll be a bullpen option for the Reds, but is a longshot to ever get close to saves. That will limit his fantasy production.

The move is more meaningful in Cincy after moving on from Lux. That opens playing time for others.

Matt McLain is the team's likely second baseman, while JJ Bleday could be in a platoon with Dane Myers in left field. Bleday was a free agent add, while Myers was just traded for.

Neither Bleday or Myers will likely be big fantasy assets, unless they start daily. As platoon guys, they are just deep-league options, with Bleday being the better option as the left-handed hitter.

McLain flashed in 2023 before missing all of 2024. He played in 147 games in 2025, but saw his numbers drop way off. Letting Lux go gives McLain a much clearer path to playing time, not that Lux was going to steal much work anyways.

The three-team trades are always pretty fun, but this one was kind of a dud. There's some serviceable players, but no big-time fantasy assets.

I like Lowe the most for 2026, with Lux after him. Lowe has the best chance at helping out in standard leagues, while Lux and Burke are just deep-league assets. Clark is a down-the-line option, but needs the Rays to turn his outlook around.