Mariners make bold move and trade for Luis Castillo

The Mariners send several of their top prospects to Cincinnati, in exchange for obtaining Reds ace and two-time All-Star Luis Castillo.

We wrote a couple of weeks ago that the Mariners should target Luis Castillo ahead of the trade deadline. On Friday night this became a reality, as they announced the acquisition of the two-time All-Star.

In the process, the Mariners boosted what was already one of the best rotations in the Majors. It was also a necessity, with the ball club wanting to keep an eye on the innings count for Logan Gilbert and George Kirby.

Castillo is having arguably the best season of his six years in the Majors. Among other things, he is on course to set career-bests with a 2.86 ERA and 1.071 WHIP.

The ERA is even more impressive, when you consider the Cincinnati Reds play their home games at Great American Ball Park. It is considered one of the most hitter-friendly stadiums in the Majors.

The 29-year-old possesses an upper-90s fastball and slider, to go along with one of the best changeups in baseball. He is a low 3/4 pitcher, which is reminiscent of his idol Pedro Martinez.

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Castillo consistently has a high strike rate and is hard to hit against, as evidenced by his career K rate of 9.8 per nine innings pitched and ERA+ of -126. For some perspective, the only pitcher in franchise history with a K rate and ERA+ this good, is Randy Johnson.

The Dominican Republic native’s contract pays him $7.35 million this season. He is arbitration eligible through 2023, before becoming an unrestricted free agent the following year. 

General manager Jerry Dipoto was understandably delighted with the acquisition. He said:

“We see Luis Castillo as an impact, top of the rotation starter who’s currently on top of his game. Our goal remains to play in the postseason, now and in the years to come. We believe adding Luis is a big step in that direction.”

Castillo was considered the top starting pitcher on the market. The Mariners did well to beat the likes of the Yankees and Dodgers, but the price was steep.

The return package included infielders Noelvi Marte and Edwin Arroyo, along with pitchers Levi Stoudt and Andrew Moore. Marte, Arroyo and Stoudt were the Mariners’ first, third and fifth ranked prospects respectively.

The trade is a polarizing one in some respects, with certain fans and analysts not agreeing with the Mariners giving up so much young talent. However, this is countered by those believing this was an excellent trade for a ball club aiming to win now.

Really, the main issue with this trade is that it takes the Mariners out of the running for the likes of the Nationals’ Juan Soto. For all their pitching prowess, Seattle could stand to bolster their offense, as evidenced by the recent lack of success versus the Astros.

Overall, this trade is a gamble, but one the Mariners had to take in order to end the longest active postseason drought in the Majors. And if Seattle does clinch a wild card spot, Castillo will headline a potent rotation.

What is your take on the trade for Castillo. Was he worth the package sent to Cincinnati, or did the Mariners give up too much? Let us know in the comments section below.