Could Philadelphia Phillies Pull Off Trade For Seattle Mariners Ace Luis Castillo?

With the Philadelphia Phillies looking for starting pitching help, making a deal for Luis Castillo could be in the cards.

Sep 3, 2024; Oakland, California, USA; Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Luis Castillo (58) delivers a pitch against the Oakland Athletics during the fourth inning at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum / D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images

It's safe to say Philadelphia Phillies fans are getting restless.

After seeing their favorite team get eliminated in the playoffs before reaching the World Series for the second straight year, the hope was Dave Dombrowski and the front office would be aggressive when trying to improve this roster.

There were clear road blocks that prevented them from making a quick fix, but with tons of high-profile free agents on the market and players being put on the trade block, there was an avenue for that to happen.

Instead, the Phillies have been one of the quietest teams.

To date, they have come to an agreement with reliever Jordan Romano on a one-year deal after his injury riddled 2024 campaign resulted in him getting non-tendered by the Toronto Blue Jays.

In the meantime, other contenders have been busy adding stars to their roster.

Philadelphia had a chance to enter into the arms race, but once again, fans had to watch their team sit on the sidelines as elite closer Devin Williams was shipped to the New York Yankees and superstar outfielder Kyle Tucker was dealt to the Chicago Cubs.

Where do the Phillies go from here?

That is the question since they have made one move to address their bullpen issues, but they still
are trying to fix their rotation and have a major need in the outfield.

One thing they could do is acquire Luis Castillo from the Seattle Mariners.

According to Daniel Kramer of MLB.com, "they’re not hanging up" when it comes to trade calls featuring the right-hander.

"Indeed, multiple sources told MLB.com that the Mariners have been taking a higher volume of calls on 'La Piedra' ...," he reports.

On paper, this is match for both teams.

The Mariners are looking for infield bats and have already been linked as a potential suitor to acquire Alec Bohm, and with Philadelphia searching for someone who can come in and boost their already potent rotation, this could be something that benefits each side.

Castillo would be a great addition for the Phillies if this is the route they take.

In his eight-year career, he's posted a 3.56 ERA across his 211 starts with a 120 ERA+ and has only had one season where his ERA was over a 4.00.

That's even with him playing in the small ball park of the Cincinnati Reds, so the potential concern about him pitching in Citizens Bank Park would be quelled a bit.

That's not to say there aren't potential issues that could come from acquiring Castillo, though.

His 101 ERA+ from this past campaign was the lowest he's had since his second year in Major League Baseball, and even in the pitcher-friendly confines that Seattle provides, he's given up 28 and 25 home runs in back-to-back seasons which is a giant red flag when projecting his performance in Philadelphia.

Castillo also has $72,450,000 left on his contract over the next three years with a $25 million vesting option in 2028, so if he's not producing like an ace, that is a lot of money to have on the Phillies' books.

And the last thing they need is another Taijuan Walker situation.

Still, this is something that can't be ignored.

The Mariners are looking for an infielder like Bohm and Philadelphia wants to add a starting pitcher.