The Chicago Cubs continued their trade deadline activity Thursday by acquiring a versatile utility player from the Minnesota Twins who made his first All-Star team in 2024.
Willi Castro, who has played six different positions for the Twins this season, will be on his way to Wrigley Field amid a massive fire sale in Minneapolis.
More news: Cubs Make Trade, Acquire All-Star From Orioles: Reports
The return to the Twins is not yet known. Jon Heyman of the New York Post was the first to report the trade Thursday on Twitter/X.
Willi Castro to Cubs for prospects
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) July 31, 2025
After acquiring reliever Andrew Kittredge from the Baltimore Orioles earlier in the day, the Cubs fine-tuned their roster by acquiring one of the most versatile players available at the trade deadline. Teams must complete trades before 6 p.m. ET Thursday.
Castro, 28, has seen time at second base, third base, shortstop and all three outfield positions this season. He’s hitting .245 with a .335 on-base percentage and .407 slugging percentage in 86 games. Although not a major power threat, Castro has 10 home runs this season — two shy of his career high from a year ago.
Castro was named to the American League All-Star for the first time midway through a 2024 season in which he slashed .247/.331/.385 in 158 games.
More news: Shocking Trade Sends Three-Time All-Star to American League West Powerhouse
The Twins have fallen on hard times this season, with a 51-57 record through Wednesday. The fallout came swiftly as the trade deadline approached. Pitchers Jhoan Duran, Brock Stewart and Danny Coulombe, outfielder Harrison Bader, and shortstop Carlos Correa were all packaged out of town in various trades before the Castro trade was reported.
According to Jesse Rogers of ESPN, the Cubs envision Castro as a backup to center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong.
More news: Phillies Make Trade for Gold Glove Outfielder Ahead of MLB Trade Deadline
While not a star, Castro could be a needle-mover in the tightly contested National League Central Division.
The Cubs trail the Milwaukee Brewers by one game for the National League Central lead after beating them 10-3 Wednesday. With two months left in the regular season, they’re in the pole position for the NL’s top Wild Card berth.
More news:
In seven major league seasons with the Twins and Detroit Tigers, Castro has a .248/.316/.391 slash line. He was originally signed by the Twins in December 2022 after being non-tendered by Detroit.
Castro, a switch-hitter, was traded to the Tigers by the Cleveland Guardians as a minor leaguer in July 2018.
For more MLB news, visit Newsweek Sports.
