Seattle Mariners Receiving "High Number of Calls" For Veteran Pitcher Luis Castillo
It looked like there was going to be some fire to the smoke surrounding the Seattle Mariners trade targets.
As the MLB Winter Meetings drew to a close earlier this week, there was extended chatter about the Mariners possibly dealing veteran starting pitcher Luis Castillo.
A lot of the rumors involving the three-time All-Star involved a swap between Seattle and the Boston Red Sox around first baseman Triston Casas. But a recent story from MLB.com's Daniel Kramer seems to indicate that potential suitors for Castillo aren't limited to just the Red Sox.
Per Kramer's story, a source expressed that the Mariners "aren't hanging up," when it comes to calls for Castillo. The same story said the calls have increased after Max Fried agreed to terms with the New York Yankees and Garrett Crochet was traded to Boston.
Castillo is the veteran pitcher on the starting rotation and is set to earn the most money on the rotation in 2025 ($24.15 million). Despite the eight-figure salary, the current market has Castillo's deal as a steal, hence the increased interest in him.
Fried signed with the Yankees on an eight-year, $218 million contract ($27.25 AAV). That contract is the third-largest deal ever for a primary pitcher. It's the fourth-highest when you include 2024 National League MVP and two-way player Shohei Ohtani. And this offseason's top free agent pitcher, Corbin Burnes, is yet to sign.
Burnes could earn upwards of $30 million in free agency. Couple that with Fried's $27 million a year, Castillo's deal is a lot more palatable for teams.
It's been reiterated several times throughout the offseason that Seattle desires to keep the 2024 starting rotation together. But the Mariners' low number of available payroll, which is estimated to be around $15-20 million, has "forced (the team) to at least consider it," per Kramer's story.
Castillo is coming off a 2024 season where he had a 3.64 ERA with 175 strikeouts in 175.1 innings pitched across 30 starts. He made the All-Star Game as recent as 2023.
Luis Castillo, 96mph ⛽️ pic.twitter.com/boyuXqKvdN
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) August 28, 2024
The assumption is that Castillo would net less in a trade than one of the Mariners' younger (and cheaper) starting pitchers like Logan Gilbert, George Kirby, Bryan Woo and Bryce Miller. But it seems like asking for those four has been a non-starter in rumored trade talks.
The rotation, which led the majors in quality starts in 2024, is the undisputed strength of the team. Keeping them together will be important, especially if Seattle fails to sign free agent international free agent Roki Sasaki.
But the Mariners' self-imposed payroll restraints has resulted in limited options for the team. With more clarity on what the market for high-end starting pitchers, Seattle's best bet to improve the offense might end up with Castillo getting moved out of the Pacific Northwest.
Assuming he waives his no-trade clause, which runs through next season.
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