Seattle Mariners Veteran Reportedly "Least Likely" Pitcher to Be Traded
The Seattle Mariners went 85-77 this past season and missed the playoffs. It's the second straight year that the Mariners missed the playoffs by just one game.
Entering the offseason, the Mariners have real questions about how to handle a rising payroll, if they can afford to add from the outside to that payroll, how to address the slumping offense and much more.
One of the things that has been raised is the idea of the Mariners trading a starting pitcher to help the club. While Jerry Dipoto has said that's plan "Z," the thought process makes some sense. The M's have five great starters, so dealing one should still leave them a great rotation, and it's the quickest way to get the impact bat they need without massively overspending in free agency.
Along that line, M's fans have speculated that if they were forced to, trading Luis Castillo makes the most sense. After all, he's the oldest M's starter, has only three years (plus a vesting option) left of control and is the most expensive member of the rotation. The quickest way to add impact while also keeping salary concerns in mind is to move on from "The Rock."
That said, he has a full no-trade clause, making a move difficult. In fact, Adam Jude of the Seattle Times recently reported that Castillo is actually the least likely M's hurler to get dealt.
Because Castillo is Seattle’s oldest and most expensive starter, there has been speculation that the Mariners might try to move him this offseason. But because of those same reasons — his age, his contract and his no-trade clause — an industry source said Castillo is the “least likely” of the five Seattle starters to be traded.
Castillo went 11-12 with a 3.64 ERA this year, ending the year on the injured list with a bum hamstring.
They acquired him in a trade with the Cincinnati Reds at the 2022 trade deadline. He helped lead the Mariners to the playoffs that season and was named an All-Star in 2023.
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