Mariners are reportedly willing to listen to offers for Luis Castillo

The Mariners have “expressed their willingness” to listen to offers for veteran right-handers Luis Castilloaccording to a report by Alex Speier of the Boston Globe. The report follows Mariners president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto, who called the move out of the rotation the club’s “Plan Z” for the offseason back in October. In fact, it seems the club still isn’t entirely keen on the idea of ​​parting ways with one of its core players, with Adam Jude of the Seattle Times reporting this evening that while “anything is possible,” the “public and private However, the club’s interests The basic attitude when taking part in the winter meetings is that they do not want to leave their rotation.

Nevertheless, it is noteworthy that the club is at least somewhat open to offers for Castillo. The right-hander, who turns 32 next week, has three more years guaranteed on the contract extension he signed with the Mariners before the 2023 season. He will receive a salary of $24.15 million each year from 2025 to 2027, and the contract also includes a possible option for the 2028 season. If Castillo misses more than 130 days due to UCL surgery during 2025-2027, The contract includes a team option of $5 million for the 2028 season. Otherwise, the contract includes a vesting option of $5 million $25 million for 2028, which will vest if Castillo throws 180 innings during the 2027 season and receives certification from an independent physician after the season that he has not suffered an injury that would force him to complete the season start the following year on the injured list.

In short, this somewhat complex deal guarantees Castillo $72.45 million over the next three seasons, which could rise to $97.45 million over four years if his option is exercised. Notably, Castillo’s contract also contained a full no-trade clause for the first three years of the deal, which will remain in effect through the end of the 2025 season, meaning the right-hander will opt out of any trade involving him. had to agree. It’s unclear whether Castillo would be willing to consider a trade outside of Seattle or whatever his preferences would be, and it’s possible that the right-hander’s no-trade clause could invalidate any trade talks if he does doesn’t feel ready to leave the Mariners.

Should both Castillo and the Mariners be open to a trade, it’s easy to see why he could be of interest to rival clubs. The right-hander’s $72.45 million guarantee over the next three years isn’t much more than the left-hander’s Yusei Kikuchi received this winter from the Angels, and Castillo compares quite favorably to the veteran left-hander. Not only is he a year and a half younger than Kikuchi, but the right-hander has also significantly outperformed him in the field. Kikuchi has posted a 3.96 ERA and 3.78 FIP in 64 starts for the Astros and Blue Jays over the past two years, while Castillo has posted a stellar 3.43 ERA and 3.72 FIP in 74 starts since donning a Mariners jersey for the first time following the 2022 trade deadline. Given the ever-increasing prices in the starting pitching market and many teams’ reluctance to sign pitchers burdened by the qualifying offer, Castillo could be an attractive alternative for mid-tier players like Sean Manaea And Nick Pivetta who remain available in free agency.

Of course, that doesn’t mean Castillo’s profile isn’t a cause for concern. Castillo has lost nearly two ticks of velocity on his fastball since his peak with the Reds, and since arriving in Seattle, his once-stellar groundball rate has dropped to a more pedestrian 39.1% over the past two years. His strikeout rate declined similarly this year, settling at just 24.3% in 2024. That made him more or less a league-average starter in both results and peripherals this year, as he posted a 3.64 ERA with a 3.91 FIP and a 3.79 SIERA in 175 1/3 innings . However, Castillo helps offset his declining results with volume. He has been something of a workhorse throughout his career, throwing at least 150 innings in every 162-game season of his career while averaging nearly 178 innings per season since the start of the 2021 season.

Overall, Castillo is a solid, durable arm that slots neatly into the front or mid rotation of virtually any hitter. That should make him an attractive player in a hot market for starting pitching, and if Castillo is open to a trade, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Mariners use their excellent rotation to target other areas of the roster, even if they there are express your reluctance to do so. Finally, it’s worth noting that the club could face a budget crunch this winter, making the deal with Castillo and the $24.15 million he’s owed more palatable. While the Mariners are expected to enter 2025 with a higher payroll than 2024, they’ve already reached that point: RosterResource projects Seattle to have a $146 million payroll in 2025, and their payroll to Year-end this year was $144 million. Although a small increase in the wage bill is expected, this appears to leave the club with very little scope for salary increases.

That could pose a problem for the Mariners, as they are reportedly interested in signing two infielders this winter. The club reportedly has a preference for reinforcements at the infield corners, but has also been linked in the rumor mill to center fielders, such as the Cubs’ second baseman Nico Horns and KBO infielder Hyeseong Kim. Cubs first baseman Cody Bellinger and Phillies third baseman Alec Boehm are among the other players the Mariners have reportedly considered on the trade market, and the club is also reportedly interested in reuniting with either one Justin Turner or Carlos Santana in free agency.

Of course, adding any of these players would cost money, and without a bigger budget increase than expected, adding two of them could be a tall order. The Mariners would certainly like to move on from the last year of both Mitch Haniger‘s or Mitch Garver‘s contract, but both sluggers have negative trade value after difficult seasons. In contrast, a Castillo transfer could likely yield a sizable return while also removing a lot of money from the club’s books, giving himself additional financial flexibility this winter to either dabble in free agency or a salary on the trade market.