Former MLB players Luis Valbuena and Jose Castillo were killed in a car accident in Venezuela last night after their vehicle in which they were passengers struck a rock. Valbuena and Castillo were 33 and 37, respectively. Both men had just finished playing a game with Cardeneles de Lara in the Venezuelan Winter League.
Valbuena played 11 big league seasons beginning in 2008 with the Seattle Mariners. He also had stints with the Cleveland Indians, Chicago Cubs, Houston Astros and spent the past two seasons with the Los Angeles Angels before being released by the team in August. In 96 games with the Angels in 2018, Valbuena hit .199 with 9 HR and 33 RBI. Primarily a third baseman, his best season came in 2015 when he hit a career high 25 HR when the Astros won the AL Wild Card. His career ends with a .226 batting average, 114 HR and 367 RBI.
Castillo played in MLB from 2004 through 2008 primarily with the Pittsburgh Pirates splitting his final season with the San Francisco Giants and the Houston Astros. He was the Pirates' regular second baseman from 2004 through 2006. After attaining career high 14 HR and 65 RBI in 2006, Castillo saw his playing time reduced in 2007 when the Bucs moved Freddy Sanchez from third base to second base rendering Castillo a utility infielder. Since 2009, Castillo had been active in the Venezuelan Winter League and in the Mexican League along with brief stints in Japan.
Valbuena and Castillo become the latest in a line of Latin American born players killed in car accidents. Following the 2014 season, St. Louis Cardinals budding star Oscar Taveras along with his girlfriend were killed in a car accident in the Dominican Republic. On January 22, 2017, both Kansas City Royals pitcher Yordano Ventura and journeyman Andy Marte were killed in separate car accidents also in the DR. As it turns out, the roads in Venezuela aren't any safer. R.I.P.
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