FORT MYERS, Fla. — Rusney Castillo has three seasons and $35.5 million remaining on his seven-year contract, a home in the affluent Pinecrest section of Miami, and several expensive cars.

Life is immeasurably better for the 30-year-old Red Sox outfielder and his family than it would be had he remained in Cuba. Castillo even smells of success given the six bottles of designer cologne in his locker at JetBlue Park.

But from a baseball standpoint, it’s a gilded cage.

When the Red Sox took Castillo off their 40-man roster in 2016, it left him with little hope of returning to the major leagues thanks to a provision in the collective bargaining agreement.

No matter how well he plays in spring training, the best Castillo can hope for is a spot with Triple A Pawtucket.

“It’s something I try not to think too much about,’’ Castillo said on Saturday. “But it’s always there.’’

When Castillo was taken off the roster — “outrighted’’ is the term baseball uses — it also meant his salary would not count toward luxury tax payroll calculations.

The Red Sox still pay Castillo’s salary, but in the eyes of Major League Baseball it’s not factored in unless he is returned to the 40-man roster.

Luxury tax payrolls take into account a player’s average annual salary, which is $10.36 million for Castillo. If the Sox were to add Castillo, it would raise their payroll well over the highest luxury tax tier of $237 million.

The overage would be taxed at 64.5 percent and the Sox would see their top pick in the 2019 draft drop 10 spots. Worse, the team would lose financial flexibility to make additions during the season.

That’s too much of a price to pay for an extra outfielder, especially for a team that already has Andrew Benintendi, Mookie Betts, Jackie Bradley Jr., and J.D. Martinez.

Castillo, 30, is talented enough to play in the majors, perhaps even as a starter for some teams. He hit .314 with an .857 OPS for Pawtucket last season then helped Caguas win the Caribbean Series for Puerto Rico.

But trading Castillo would almost certainly require the Red Sox paying off a significant amount of his remaining contract. That money would then count against their luxury tax payroll.

So Castillo waits and takes pride in what he can. The winter ball championship was one of those moments.

“It felt great,’’ Castillo said via translator Daveson Perez. “I was told I was the first Cuban player to win the Caribbean Series and that is something I don’t take lightly.

“All I can do is focus on having the best season I can at whatever level that is, however that works out. But my goal is to get back to the majors. That is every player’s dream.’’

There is little reason to feel sorry for Castillo. None at all, really. But this mess is not of his making.

In 2014, the last-place Red Sox and general manager Ben Cherington saw Castillo as the team’s center fielder of the future and offered him $72.5 million.

It proved to be a poorly considered decision based on overzealous scouting reports.

Castillo hit .253 with little power in 2015 and showed poor instincts on the bases. He was what many other teams judged him to be, a backup outfielder in need of further development.

By 2016, Castillo rarely played and his salary became an impediment. The loophole that allowed his money to be hidden has since been closed, but Castillo remains frozen out.

He does have an ally in manger Alex Cora. In 2014, Cora managed Castillo in Puerto Rico’s winter league and was impressed.

“Very athletic, driving the ball to right-center. He was actually the best player in the league,’’ Cora said.

Castillo then became susceptible to inside fastballs in 2015, failed to adjust, and produced a constant stream of ground balls to the left side. He has shown improvement since with Pawtucket.

Cora has empathy for Castillo, but he also looks at the bigger picture.

Last season, as bench coach of the Houston Astros, Cora worked closely with infielder Yuli Gurriel. Before he defected in 2016, Gurriel was one or the stars of the Cuban National Team, a celebrity in the baseball-centric nation.

But Gurriel still lived in fear despite his status.

“Yuli was the best player in Cuba, the golden child, and he told me some stories . . . wow,’’ Cora said. “We don’t understand.’’

So it could be much worse for Castillo.

“You go back to where’s he coming from and where he is now, it’s night and day,’’ Cora said. “From where he grew up to be here and be part of a big-league organization and obviously signing a big contract, he’s thankful.’’

Castillo believes Cora will be an excellent manager and has told his teammates he will change the Red Sox for the better.

“It’s good to see him this opportunity. We have a great relationship and I’m proud of him,’’ Castillo said.

But he accepts he will not be part of what happens.

“It’s my situation and I can’t control it,’’ Castillo said. “Maybe something will change. I hope so.’’

Peter Abraham can be reached at pabraham@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @PeteAbe.