35 Reasons to Believe

The Phanatic Magazine kicked off its 35 straight days of Phillies on Sunday, one article per day detailing each member battling for position as the season begins. Also, look for Michael Rushton's season outlook, which will cap the offseason look at the Phillies on Opening Day -- April 2nd against Atlanta.

DAY 8: Fabio Castro

By Eric Redner

Every season brings a few surprises, some good, some bad. Hopefully, Fabio Castro can be one of those good surprises for the upcoming campaign.

The Phillies acquired Castro from the Texas Rangers on June 29, 2006 in exchange for pitcher Daniel Haigwood.

The 22-year-old lefty from the Dominican Republic appeared in 16 games for the Phillies after the team nabbed him and he finished the season with a 0-1 record with a minuscule 1.54 ERA over 23 1/3 innings of work. He gave up 12 hits and only four runs while walking six and striking out 13 batters.

Castro was originally signed by the Chicago White Sox as an undrafted free agent in late 2001, but did not appear in any games for the club. He was the first pick by the Kansas City Royals in the 2005 Rule 5 draft, who then dealt him to Texas for second baseman Esteban German.

Castro made his major league debut on April 6, 2006 for the Texas Rangers and appeared in four games before being dealt to the Phillies. He battled a groin injury early in the season, but was healthy for the remainder of the campaign.

Castro has a strong fastball, throwing it consistently in the low 90's and sometimes breaking 94 or 95. He has good location on his fastball but could use some work in moving it to different parts of the strike zone. He also has a very strong changeup, but his slider is inconsistent and could use some work. Once he gets the slider under control, though, it could windup being a key pitch for him.

The speculation right now is that Castro will be used as a starting pitcher at the Double-A or Triple-A level. This will help him with his development and seeing how the Phils have a strong starting rotation this season, they can afford to give him the time he needs to develop.

However, it is possible that the Phils will use Castro out of the bullpen. If he is in the bullpen come April 2, look for the Phils to use him sparingly at first, but if he can develop quickly and be successful early, he could develop into a strong setup man this season, being one of those pleasant surprises that can help lead to a successful season.

In his first appearance in the Grapefruit League this season, Castro threw three innings of two-hit, no-run ball with two strike outs.

Tomorrow: Brian Sanches