Seattle Mariners Reportedly "Frustrated" at Potential Returns For Luis Castillo
The Seattle Mariners offseason hasn't gone the way fans, or likely the team, would have hoped.
The Mariners entered the offseason with needs at first, second and third base. General Manager Justin Hollander and President of Baseball Operations Jerry Dipoto confirmed the team was looking for solutions at those positions, in addition to a few arms for the bullpen.
Seattle hasn't made any major acquisitions to address those needs, but it looked like they were close to doing so during MLB Winter Meetings, which took place Dec. 9-12 in Dallas.
Soon after starting pitcher Max Fried signed with the New York Yankees on an eight-year, $218 million deal, there were rumors that the Mariners and Boston Red Sox were engaged in trade talks involving Seattle starter Luis Castillo and Boston first baseman Triston Casas.
The rumored deal was being reported by several different sources at a frequency that made it seem like a swap was imminent. But nothing came out of it.
Since then, several insiders have said the Mariners won't trade Castillo, or any other pitcher, unless it's a deal that the organization feels like will improve the team.
The Chicago Cubs and New York Mets are among the clubs that have inquired about the three-time All-Star's availability. And so far, Seattle hasn't been impressed with the potential returns they're hearing.
MLB Network insider Jon Heyman went on B/R Live on Thursday and reported the Mariners have been "frustrated" with the deals that have been presented to them for Castillo.
The @Mariners are "frustrated" with the deals that they've been hearing lately for starting pitcher Luis Castillo, per @JonHeyman on @BleacherReport live.#TridentsUp #SeattleMariners
— Circling Seattle Sports (@CirclingSports) December 26, 2024
Castillo is coming off a solid year in 2024 where he posted a 3.64 ERA in 30 starts with 175 strikeouts in 175.1 innings pitched.
Mama, Luis Castillo just killed a man. pic.twitter.com/A3JFxCtO8D
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) August 12, 2024
Despite Castillo's solid season, there's multiple reasons why teams might not be offering returns Seattle would be interested in.
Castillo is 32 years-old and is owed over $70 million the next three years with a $25 million vesting option in 2028, per Spotrac. Castillo is still a top-of-the-rotation starter, but teams would be hesitant to pay that kind of money to a player that age. He also has a no-trade clause, meaning a club could potentially have to give Castillo even more money for him to agree to a deal.
A lot of the teams that the Mariners are rumored to have been in contact with have been playoff-caliber. Seattle has four other starting pitchers who are younger and cheaper with several years of team control remaining. Other clubs could also simply not be interested in a big deal involving Castillo when they could theoretically trade for Logan Gilbert, George Kirby, Bryce Miller and Bryan Woo.
Whatever the reason, the lack of decent returns for Castillo is the latest update in what's become a disappointing offseason for the Mariners.
But if Seattle doesn't find answers to their roster holes in free agency, there's not many avenues left to travel. And that might force the team to make a move that's less than ideal.
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