Deal Between Seattle Mariners And Chicago Cubs a 'Long Shot' According to Insider
The Seattle Mariners are 10 days away from Christmas morning, and many of the team's fans are hoping for the gift of a major league acquisition.
The Mariners went through Winter Meetings without making a trade to address needs at first, second or third base.
But there was potential groundwork laid for a deal in the future. And there's a good chance that any deal Seattle makes to address its needs will involve starting pitcher Luis Castillo.
Most of the rumors have involved a deal with either the Boston Red Sox or the Chicago Cubs. Some reports have said that talks haven't gone past the exploratory stages and others said it's just a matter of time before the three-time All-Star gets moved.
The Cubs recently made a trade to acquire power-hitting outfielder Kyle Tucker from the Houston Astros in return for Isaac Paredes, among others, which cleared up space in the infield for the team's first overall prospect Matt Shaw.
One of the players the Mariners have been interesting in acquiring is Chicago second baseman Nico Hoerner. But according to a recent story from the Athletic's MLB insider Ken Rosenthal, the Cubs' recent deal for Tucker might take a potential trade between Seattle and Chicago off the table:
A trade of Castillo to the Cubs for a package headlined by second baseman Nico Hoerner also would appear a longshot. The Cubs needed to trade a second baseman or third baseman to clear a spot for No. 1 prospect Matt Shaw, the 13th overall pick in the 2023 draft. They accomplished that goal with the inclusion of Isaac Paredes in the Kyle Tucker deal, creating a path for Shaw at third and making it likely they will keep Hoerner.
Castillo has one of the best values of any "available" starting pitcher. He had a 3.64 ERA with 175 strikeouts in 175.1 innings pitched across 30 starts.
Luis Castillo's 2Ks in the 3rd.
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) August 24, 2024
5Ks thru 3. pic.twitter.com/7Y8c9zvQg8
There's been several reports that the Mariners have been interested in acquiring Hoerner since the offseason began. But it seems like Chicago's proactiveness has made it less likely for a deal to be struck between the two sides. Which would make potential trade partners for Seattle that much more limited.
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