Conditional Option in Chicago Cubs Target's Contract Is Cause for Concern

The Chicago Cubs have to be careful if they want the right-hander in a trade.

Sep 8, 2024; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Luis Castillo (58) throws against the St. Louis Cardinals during the first inning at Busch Stadium. / Jeff Le-Imagn Images

The Chicago Cubs have shown some level of interest in right-hander Luis Castillo, according to Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times and other reports.

"The Mariners and Cubs have had discussions this offseason about alignment on various deals, and the Cubs have expressed interest in Castillo, a source said."

Castillo, set to make $22.75 million in each of the next three seasons, isn't what he used to be. However, $22.75 million, with how the current pitching market is, isn't too bad of a contract.

Some consider it a bit much due to his production slowing down a bit in recent campaigns, but when a 41-year-old Charlie Morton is signing for $15 million for one season, Castillo's $22.75 million shouldn't be a worry for the Cubs.

If Chicago plans to add to its rotation, the front office should expect to spend at least $15 million. Outside of one or two starters remaining on the free agency market, who would make much more than $15 million AAV, Castillo is the top option available.

However, the $22.75 million might not be the biggest issue for the Cubs or any team looking to trade for Castillo.

According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, Castillo's contract has a conditional option. The option would enable a team to retain him for $5 million in 2028, a year after his contract ends, if he's on the IL from 2025 to 20207 for more than 130 consecutive days.

"On the other hand, Castillo’s contract includes a conditional option that would enable his team to retain him for $5 million in 2028 if he is on the injured list from 2025 to ‘27 for more than 130 consecutive days due to an operation stemming from a UCL surgery. The mere fact that the Mariners included that clause in Castillo’s extension is additional cause for concern."

While Castillo and his agent tried to add some flexibility to his deal if he dealt with an arm injury, there's some concern about why they did that. It could've been as simple as Castillo wanting to be safe, but other teams could be being cautious due to that, and rightfully so.

The last thing Chicago wants to do is trade for a pitcher of his caliber and find out he has an arm injury that hasn't been made public. The Cubs would have to hope anything shows up in a medical.

The pitching staff could use him, but if there's any concern about a potential UCL injury, it's probably best to stay away.