Report: Mariners Trading for Reds Starter

Seattle, in the second Wild Card spot in the American League, is seeking to fortify its starting rotation for the stretch run.

The Seattle Mariners are finalizing a deal to acquire Cincinnati Reds pitcher Luis Castillo in a trade, per a report by ESPN.

MLB.com reported that the Reds received three of the Mariners' top five prospects: Noelvi Marte, Edwin Arroyo, Levi Stoudt and Andrew Moore.

Seattle is firmly in the American League playoff race, as the Mariners were in the second Wild Card spot going into Friday’s action, a game ahead of the Tampa Bay Rays.

Seattle just swept the Texas Rangers and started a four-game series at the Houston Astros on Thursday.

Castillo is one of the hottest pitchers on the trade market. With the Reds, Castillo is 4-4 in 2022 with a 2.86 ERA in 14 starts for the Reds.

For his career, Castillo has a 3.62 ERA this season.

He cannot become a free agent until after the 2023 season, so the Mariners would not only be acquiring a pitcher that can help them in a push for the playoffs this season, but he can be a part of their rotation next season, and even long-term, if the Mariners sign him in free agency.

If the deal happens, it will be another significant trade as MLB nears the trade deadline on Aug. 2. Earlier this week, the New York Yankees sent a set of prospects to the Kansas City Royals for outfielder Frank Benintendi, who was hitting .320 at the time of the trade.

The trade may indicate that the Yankees are preparing to move on from the struggling Joey Gallo, whom they acquired from the Texas Rangers for four prospects last season.

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You can find Matthew Postins on Twitter @PostinsPostcard

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