Baltimore Orioles: 6 unsung players playing vital roles in 2017

5. Miguel Castro, RHP

A 22-year-old player gets frequently traded, as a prospect in demand. However, prospects in need don’t get traded for cash, as Miguel Castro was on April 7, 2017.

I’m sure Dan Duquette said something at the time of him having three strong pitches, a starter’s background and the ability to be a piece for the Orioles in 2017. Most Baltimore Orioles fans probably rolled their eyes.

Now, Castro has been just as outstanding in the bullpen as Darren O’Day, Brad Brach and Mychal Givens.

Castro is 3-1 with a .247 ERA in 31 games over 51 innings. He has a WHIP of 1.039, much lower than his career average. In recent games, Castro has come in after Zach Britton blew a save and got the win, pitched 1 2/3 innings in a win over the Red Sox, and pitched 3.1 innings against the Mariners on Wednesday, keeping the Orioles in the game and allowing them to come back and take the lead.

Castro also has a six inning relief appearance where he allowed one hit and one walk and helped save the bullpen after a bad start.

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Castro has gone from a pitcher with potential but little control to one that Buck Showalter trusts in any situation. In fact, he is the one who started the seven game winning streak in the game that Britton blew the save.

The future for Miguel may involve starting, but for now, he is a guy who can do multiple things and recovers very quickly in the Baltimore Orioles’ bullpen. And that is a valuable piece to have.