Coby Mayo Could Be Intriguing Piece of Baltimore Orioles Offer for Luis Castillo

If the Baltimore Orioles are going to land an ace like Luis Castillo, they might have to offer up Coby Mayo.

Mar 16, 2024; Sarasota, Florida, USA; Baltimore Orioles infielder Coby Mayo (86) singles during the second inning against the Boston Red Sox at Ed Smith Stadium / Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

The search by the Baltimore Orioles for an ace is on.

Following Corbin Burnes' decision to officially leave and sign with the Arizona Diamondbacks, this organization is facing the same reality they were last winter when they put together a blockbuster trade to bring in the former NL Cy Young winner.

Mike Elias and the front office are looking for options, and without a true gamechanger still available on the open market, they could turn their attention to making another trade.

Dylan Cease has been floated as someone they might pursue, but with him scheduled to hit free agency after the upcoming season, the Orioles would be in the same exact position they were in this winter, needing to re-sign one of the top arms available.

Because of that, there's a chance Baltimore would look for someone who has multiple years of club control remaining, and if they choose to go down that route, then Luis Castillo would be the their best option.

The right-hander was elite when the Cincinnati Reds shipped him to the Seattle Mariners ahead of the trade deadline in 2022, having a 2.86 ERA across the 14 starts before the move. He followed that up with a 3.17 ERA in 11 starts to close out the year.

But since then, Castillo has regressed each season.

In 2023, he posted a 118 ERA+ compared to 136 the year prior. He followed that up with a 101 this past season, the lowest he's had since his second big league campaign during 2018.

That trend certainly isn't what the Orioles are looking for depending on the price they would have to send out to land the hard-throwing righty, but considering they have a strong farm system with intriguing young players on their roster, trading some of them to get back a player at a clear position of need is something that could happen before Opening Day.

So, what might it cost to land Castillo?

Roch Kubatko of MASN mentioned talks could involved star prospect Coby Mayo.

"Castillo makes sense, for sure, and the Mariners seem willing to move him. They may not be aggressively shopping him, but they’ll listen and probably react to the right offer ... Seattle wants to address its infield, including the corners. The teams reportedly have talked. Ryan Mountcastle is a popular name to speculate. The Mariners could inquire about Coby Mayo, who’s been untouchable," he writes.

There's a lot of stuff in there.

First, the fact these two sides have talked is something notable since that indicates there is at least a line of communication open regarding something getting done.

Second, Ryan Mountcastle has been someone floated as a potential moveable piece if it comes to it, especially with Coby Mayo ready for a Major League leap and Gary Sanchez being signed this offseason, so if he is of interest to the Mariners with their need for improved offense, the slugger could be on the way out.

But, the mention of Mayo is something that's interesting.

Since Castillo is under contract through 2027, Seattle likely wants a young, ascending piece back in return, the exact type of player the star prospect is.

Like Kubatko stated, Mayo has been untouchable, and while that isn't expected to change this winter, there's a chance Baltimore could consider moving him if it does land them a top-level arm.