Should Luis Castillo Be on the Postseason Roster for the Chicago White Sox After Being Demoted?
· Yahoo Sports
The Chicago White Sox acquired Luis Castillo from the Seattle Mariners at the trade deadline to stabilize a rotation that desperately needed help. Instead, the 33-year-old right-hander has been unable to provide the White Sox with five consistent innings. He has floundered since landing on the South Side, which forced Will Venable to demote him to the bullpen. Despite his demotion, he has not gotten better on the field.
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Against the Kansas City Royals on Tuesday night, he was called on as a reliever with the White Sox leading 14-7, and Castillo had a disastrous outing. Allowing four runs on three hits, including a homer, in one inning of work. Fans on social media have begun to call for Castillo to be exempted from the White Sox postseason roster if Chicago qualifies for the playoffs, but they will still be on the hook for his 2027 salary ($24.1 million with a vesting option for 2028).
Sep 12, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; Chicago White Sox pitcher Luis Castillo (58) delivers against the St. Louis Cardinals during the second inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Le-Imagn ImagesCastillo Is One of the Few White Sox Players With Postseason Experience
Among the White Sox roster, only Randal Grichuk and Andrew Benintendi have had more postseason experience than Castillo. The pitcher featured in his first postseason with the Cincinnati Reds in 2020, making one appearance. He then made five postseason appearances with the Mariners in 2022 and 2025. With White Sox just one game away from making the postseason for the first time in 2021, Castillo is supposed to be leading the charge, but he’s far from doing so.
Although Castillo was one of the most consistent pitchers in the 2020’s, he has been an abject disaster since joining the White Sox. His 2.99 ERA in 2022 was decent, earning 167 strikeouts in 150⅓ innings; however, it rose to 3.34 in 2023 and to 3.64 in 2024, before settling at 3.54 in 2025. Castillo had a 5.06 ERA when the White Sox acquired him, and now, his strikeout rate has fallen, his home-run rate has climbed, and his overall results have deteriorated.
Luis Castillo gives up a Grand Slam in the 9th. It’s 14-11.
Castillo’s role is being defined….as a not on the playoff roster type role. #WhiteSox
— Ryan McGuffey (@RyanMcGuffey) September 23, 2026
The 2026 season is the first time that his decline has turned into something concerning because he was meant to be in Chicago’s starting rotation but has since been moved to the bullpen. His experience was supposed to help the team, but it has added more burden to it. In six starts, the former Reds’ ace posted a 7.54 ERA and a 6.44 FIP. In three games as a reliever, he allowed seven earned runs on seven hits while walking four and striking out just three.
Can the White Sox Do Without Luis Castillo in the Playoffs?
It is easy to answer that question due to Castillo’s form. Since the Dominican was officially demoted to the bullpen on September 17, the White Sox have gone 4-1. He has appeared in three of those five games and has only had one scoreless inning. David Sandlin, Castillo’s direct replacement on the team, has done a little better than him, posting a 4.66 ERA in two starts.
Nonetheless, Venable has relied on Sean Burke, Davis Martin, Anthony Kay, and Erick Fedde as starting pitchers, and they have been more productive. Burke has thrown 167 innings in 2026 with a 3.40 ERA, while Fedde has posted a 3.90 ERA and 97 strikeouts in 138 1/3 innings, and Kay has a 4.53 ERA and 125 strikeouts in 153 innings. Martin has had a stellar 0.89 ERA since returning from the injured list on September 2.
Sep 9, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago White Sox pitcher Davis Martin (65) delivers the ball during the first inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Rate Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn ImagesThe White Sox cannot afford to give a player a chance to disrupt the team’s work should they make the playoffs. The team has worked so hard this topsy-turvy season to find themselves on the brink of making history after three consecutive seasons of 100 losses, just to throw everything away. Venable has to select the best and most important 26-man postseason roster.
Main Photo Credit: William Purnell-Imagn Images
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