Castro continues to play waiting game

The contract of Orioles bullpen coach Bill Castro runs out today, and whether he returns in 2014 remains an uncertainty. Castro said he still hasn't been contacted by the Orioles, who hired Dave Wallace as their pitching coach earlier this week. Castro inherited the job Aug. 15 after Rick Adair took a personal leave of absence. "I haven't heard anything either way," said Castro, named the Orioles bullpen coach before the 2012 season. "The only thing I know is I see what you guys write. That's about it." Manager Buck Showalter said Wallace will have the largest input in the selection of the bullpen coach. Showalter also indicated that he would float the names of Castro and Scott McGregor, who took over the job after Adair left the team. "We'll see if they're going to call, what they have to say," Castro said. "I don't know what the situation is going to be. I don't know at this point. They're probably having some meetings. Wallace came in late in the month and they're probably ironing things out. "He has people he knows and he may want to bring in. I don't know if I'll be recommended by Dan (Duquette) or Buck to him. I don't know." Castro spent 37 seasons in the Brewers organization as a player, scout and coach before joining the Orioles in 2012. He's left to wonder where he'll be employed next year and in what capacity. "There are things that go through your mind and you don't know which way they're going," he said. "I don't know who they're taking or what decision they're going to make." Castro has no previous ties to Wallace. "I've seen him before, coaching against him before," Castro said. "I don't know him personally, but I didn't know Rick personally, either." The Orioles interviewed four candidates for the pitching coach job, all of them outside the organization. Castro said he was a bit disappointed that he didn't get a call. "I thought I had a chance, maybe," he said. "I'm still playing the waiting game right now. I'm an organizational type of person. I will do whatever it takes for the organization to get better. I don't have any ego about anything. I've done this a long time and gone through the same situation like this. Not this late, but I've been through this situation before and I did what I had to do." Reliever Tommy Hunter offered a strong endorsement of Castro during our recent interview, saying, "Billy helped me so much. I like Billy. To be selfish about it, I hope he comes back to the bullpen. I always sat with him. He's the reason my season turned out like it did. It's not even a question. I will be straight up and honest. There's no way I could have done what I did without him. I owe that man a lot." Told of Hunter's endorsement today, Castro replied, "I do what I need to do. They all need help. They're all major league players, but they all need help one time or another." Note: Bovada lists the Orioles at 25/1 to win the 2014 World Series, the same odds as this season. They were 150/1 in 2012. Los Angeles Dodgers 7/1 Detroit Tigers 9/1 Boston Red Sox 10/1 St. Louis Cardinals 10/1 Washington Nationals 10/1 Los Angeles Angels 14/1 Atlanta Braves 16/1 Cincinnati Reds 16/1 New York Yankees 16/1 Oakland Athletics 16/1 Tampa Bay Rays 16/1 Texas Rangers 16/1 San Francisco Giants 18/1 Cleveland Indians 20/1 Baltimore Orioles 25/1 Pittsburgh Pirates 25/1 Toronto Blue Jays 25/1 Kansas City Royals 33/1 Philadelphia Phillies 33/1 Arizona Diamondbacks 40/1 Chicago White Sox 50/1 Milwaukee Brewers 50/1 Seattle Mariners 50/1 Chicago Cubs 66/1 Colorado Rockies 66/1 San Diego Padres 66/1 Minnesota Twins 75/1 New York Mets 75/1 Miami Marlins 200/1 Houston Astros 250/1