Chiba Lotte Marines attached to Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) announced the hiring of the Venezuelan player Jose Castillo. The news It was disclosed by the organization itself through its account on the social network “X”.
He Venezuelan baseball player ends a five-year career in the Major Leagues, after a year marked by constant movements on roster and waiver uncertainty.
José Castillo closed 2025 in the Big Apple without contract renewal
The 29-year-old player He finished the 2025 season as head of the New York Metsbut the organization chose not to offer him a contract in the arbitration process, rejecting his projected salary of 1.7 million dollars.
Subsequently and without options in the Minor Leagues, coupled with the constant risk of being designated for assignment, the Venezuelan baseball player He opted for a pact guaranteed in Japan. In this way he joined the growing wave of Latin baseball players who live in the NPB to relaunch their careers.
With five seasons in the Major League starting in 2018 with the San Diego Padres where he played for four years, the pitcher began 2025 as a true carousel. It started with Arizona Diamondbacks on a Minor League contract, he was subsequently designated for assignment in May and then traded to the Big Apple.
He then joined the ranks of Seattle Mariners and Baltimore Orioles accumulating a 3.94 ERA in 32 innings. Finally he left record lifetime in the Majors of five awards with the same number of setbacks, a total of 85 strikeouts in 72.1 innings of work.
He finally returned to the Metropolitans’ line after they claimed him from the waiver list from Baltimore, finally electing free agency in November.
Japan welcomes Venezuelan player with open arms for 2026
The Chiba Lotte Marines manager praised the Venezuelan’s speed on the straight, while the left-hander was quick to express his excitement after this new chapter in his professional life.
“I am very excited to be part of the Chiba Lotte Marines. I am really happy to join the team. I will do everything I can for the team and for the Marines fans. The fans are known for being some of the loudest and most passionate in baseball, which is one of the main reasons why I wanted to play in Japan,” he said.
Despite having undergone Tommy John surgery on his throwing elbow, which took him two years away from his nose, he has struggled to regain continuity and show that he has a lot to offer in the sport. At just 29 years old, Jose Castillo now faces a new challenge on the Asian continent.
The NPB has historically been fertile ground for players who seek to reinvent themselves, and the Venezuelan hopes to take advantage of this opportunity to establish himself as a reliable arm and, perhaps, open the doors of MLB again in the future.
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Victor Briceño: Sports journalist with more than 3 years of experience covering the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League (LVBP) and MLB. Knowledge of SEO, sabermetrics and data analysis. Bachelor and Master in Finance
