Seattle Mariners Sign Pitcher Luis F. Castillo to Minor League Contract

The new Seattle Mariners pitcher with the same name as a three-time All-Star already on the roster will be invited to Spring Training as a non-roster invitee.
The Seattle Mariners Armed Forces Day hat is pictured in the dugout before a game against the Atlanta Braves on May 20, 2023, at Truist Park.
The Seattle Mariners Armed Forces Day hat is pictured in the dugout before a game against the Atlanta Braves on May 20, 2023, at Truist Park. / Brett Davis-Imagn Images
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The Seattle Mariners entered the offseason with needs at first, second and third base. So far, the Mariners have only made one big move to address those roster holes: a one-year, $3.5 million deal with 13-year veteran Donovan Solano.

With a little over two weeks until pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training, Seattle is now at the point where it's signing players already under contract with the team. Or at least players with the same name as those already under contract.

Per a report from MLB Network insider Jon Heyman, the Mariners signed right-handed pitcher Luis F. Castillo to a minor league deal with a non-roster Spring Training invitation attached.

The Castillo that Heyman reported on is different than Luis M. Castillo, who is the three-time All-Star and former Cincinnati Reds hurler on Seattle's starting rotation.

Luis F. Castillo has pitched the last two season in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball with the Chiba Lotte Marines and Orix Buffaloes, respectively.

In 2023 with the Marines, Castillo made 12 appearances as a relief pitcher. He had a 3.12 ERA with 34 strikeouts in 49 innings pitched. In 2024 with the Buffaloes, Castillo had 15 outings and struck out 74 batters in 94.1 innings pitched. Castillo had a 3-3 record in 2023 and 3-5 record in 2024.

Castillo is 28 years-old and was a part of the Arizona Diamondbacks and Detroit Tigers organization before playing the last two seasons in Japan. He's made just three major league appearances in his career. He had three appearances for the Tigers in 2022 and posted a 0.00 ERA and struck out four batters in 3.2 innings pitched.

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Teren Kowatsch
TEREN KOWATSCH

Teren Kowatsch is a staff writer for ''Minor League Baseball on SI'' and other "On SI'' baseball sites. He has been a writer for “On SI’’ for two years and is a graduate of the University of Idaho. You can follow him on Twitter @Teren_Kowatsch