Lotte announced the acquisition of Jose Castillo pitcher, who played for a total of four teams this season, including the Mets.The relief left-hander made his major league debut with the Padres in 2018. This season, he pitched in 29 games for the Diamondbacks, Mets, Mariners and Orioles, posting a ERA 3.94 ERA.
Castillo commented through the team, "I am very excited to be a part of Chiba Lotte Marines. I am truly happy to be joining the team. I will do my best for the team and for Chiba Lotte Marines fans. The fans are known for being some of the loudest and most passionate in baseball, which is one of the main reasons I wanted to play in Japan. After seeing videos and the stadium, I fell in love with the energy the fans create. I will do my best to learn Japanese as quickly as possible for your sake. I am really looking forward to meeting you all. See you at the stadium next year!"
Manager Saburo also expressed his expectations, saying, "He's a tall, 198cm southpaw with a good amount of angle, and I was impressed with fastball, which exceeds 150 km/h, and the sharpness of slider. He also has great control, so I expect him to be able to closer right-handed hitter bullpen."
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