The Seattle Mariners are acquiring starting pitcher Luis Castillo from the Cincinnati Reds, per Jeff Passan of ESPN. In return, the Mariners will be sending shortstop Noelvi Marte, shortstop Edwin Arroyo, right-handed pitcher Levi Stoudt, and right-handed pitcher Andrew Moore back to the Reds.
Three of the four prospects heading to Cincinnati in the deal were ranked in the top five of the Mariners system. Marte was the number one prospect in their system, with Arroyo and Stoudt following right behind him in third and fifth, respectfully. Moore was not in their top 30 according to MLB Pipeline.
Castillo was considered to be the most coveted starting pitcher on the trade market. With an additional year of control, teams would not only be getting him for one pennant race, but next year’s as well. The right-hander had a lot of interest across the league over the last few weeks, including from the New York Yankees, Minnesota Twins, and even the New York Mets among others.
The 29-year-old starter is having a great season despite what the record shows, pitching to a 2.86 ERA in 85 innings of work. A shoulder injury delayed his season debut, but Castillo has been dominant ever since he returned to the mound. The pitcher was selected to the All-Star for the second time in his career earlier this month.
Castillo to the Mariners is a deal that makes a ton of sense from an organizational perspective. The team has not been to the postseason since 2001, so capitalizing on the well-built roster they have this season is a good decision from general manager Jerry Dipoto. The Mariners currently hold the second Wild Card spot in the American League, so they are right in the thick of it as August nears.
The Mariners will now have a starting rotation that includes 2021 AL CY Young Award winner Robbie Ray, Logan Gilbert, and Castillo. On the offensive side, the lineup is headlined by rookie phenom Julio Rodríguez and All-Star first baseman Ty France. With a current record of 54-47, the Mariners are in a prime position to finally end their playoff drought.
