Baltimore Orioles Issued Caution in Trading for Seattle Mariners Right-Handed Ace

The Baltimore Orioles have to be careful if they trade for the Seattle Mariners All-Star.

Aug 28, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Luis Castillo (58) readies to throw against the Tampa Bay Rays during the first inning at T-Mobile Park. / Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

The Baltimore Orioles are looking to add another arm to their rotation this winter, and with options flying off the board, they might have to trade for one.

After moving some of their top prospects over the past 12 months, the Orioles farm system isn't what it once was, but there's reason to believe they could complete most trades they're interested in.

According to Jon Morosi of MLB.com, Baltimore has spoken with the Seattle Mariners in recent days about a trade for Luis Castillo, perhaps the best starter available on the trade front.

"The Baltimore Orioles and Seattle Mariners have talked before and in recent days about a potential [Luis] Castillo trade to Baltimore..."

Castillo isn't what he used to be. He still had a decent showing in 2024, posting a 3.64 ERA and striking out 175 hitters in 175 1/3 innings, but he wasn't nearly as dominant as he was the year prior.

The Mariners have one of the best rotations in Major League Baseball. Their staff is filled with young arms, and while Castillo would be a help to them in their pursuit of making the postseason, he's set to make $22.75 million in each of the next three campaigns.

That doesn't sound too bad, considering Charlie Morton, who's 41 years old, just signed a $15 million deal for one year with the Orioles.

The pitching market is more expensive than ever, so $22.75 million for the right-hander feels fair.

However, there are reasons to worry about Castillo. According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, Castillo has a conditional option in his contract that would allow a team to retain him for $5 million the season after his deal ends if he's on the injured list for more than 130 consecutive days due to an ACL injury.

"Castillo’s $22.75 million salaries in each of the next three seasons hardly seem excessive at a time when free agents such as the oft-injured Alex Cobb and 41-year-old Morton are commanding $15 million on one-year deals.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."

Now, that could be Castillo giving himself a safety net, but as Rosenthal mentioned, there's at least some worry about why he and his agent added that to his deal. Baltimore has to do its due diligence.