Follow Us
Subscribe
Luis Castillo seemed destined to be traded to the New York Yankees or Los Angeles Dodgers. Almost every rumor indicated that one of the big market teams would get a deal done for the Cincinnati Reds ace. Instead, the Seattle Mariners swooped in and landed Castillo. But was it a good trade for Seattle? Let's breakdown this blockbuster deal between the Mariners and Reds.
Grading Mariners-Reds Luis Castillo trade deadline deal
What the Reds gave up
Luis Castillo had been the Reds ace for a few years. He'd been a member of the team since 2017, but officially emerged as a star in 2019 when he struck out 226 batters and posted a 3.40 ERA. Castillo has posted an ERA under 4 in each year since, but is arguably in the midst of his best season right now.
Castillo currently owns a 2.86 ERA with a 1.07 WHIP. He's holding opposing hitters to a .201 batting average and has 90 strikeouts on the season. As a result, Castillo was selected to the All-Star game.
He features a versatile pitch arsenal with an absolutely filthy change-up. He also reaches the high 90's with his fastball.
Luis Castillo, Filthy 90mph Changeup. 👌 pic.twitter.com/KYVLfQU2s9
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) July 9, 2022
Luis Castillo, Wicked 99mph Two Seamer…with 20 inches of Run. 🤢 pic.twitter.com/lbLCzOMYwo
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) July 15, 2022
He is an incredibly difficult pitcher to square up. The Reds loved what they had in Castillo, but are in a rebuilding phase so trading him was the best course of action.
What the Mariners gave up
The Mariners sent a haul back to Cincinnati. MLB Network's Jon Morosi reported that Seattle sent prospects Noelvi Marte, Levi Stoudt, Andrew Moore, and Edwin Arroyo to the Reds. Marte was the Reds No. 1 prospect, while Arroyo was No. 3 and Stoudt was No. 5.
This deal likely removes the Mariners from Juan Soto consideration. They would have needed to send the Nationals a package highlighted by Noelvi Marte, who is one of the better prospects in all of baseball. But the Mariners clearly believe in Luis Castillo.
Marte, a 6'1 shortstop, has impressive tools. He has plenty of natural pop in his bat to go along with a quality hit tool. Many expect him to develop into an All-Star caliber offensive player at the big league level. He is a candidate to move to third base at some point, but he isn't a bad defender at shortstop.
But his offense is what stands out.
Arroyo, also a shortstop, is a plus defender with impressive offensive ability as well. Stoudt is a left-handed pitcher who features a mid-high 90's fastball and a tremendous splitter. Andrew Moore is a right-handed pitcher who offers high velocity but needs to work on control.
Grading the trade
So who won the trade?
I would say both teams came away with wins in this deal. On paper, the Reds got a loaded return package for Castillo. It is possible that Seattle only has the right-hander for a year and a half since Castillo will be a free agent following next season.
The Reds got 3 of the Mariners top 5 prospects which fits perfectly into their rebuilding strategy.
With all of that being said, I don't blame Seattle for going all in on Luis Castillo. The Mariners are desperate to snap their MLB leading playoff drought. This is a franchise that couldn't afford to stand pat. They needed to swing a big deal and they got a star pitcher.
Did they overpay? Maybe. But they had to out-bid teams such as the Yankees and Dodgers to acquire the right-handed ace. And when you haven't made the playoffs in 20-plus years, overpaying on the trade block isn't always a bad thing.
Reds trade grade: A
Mariners trade grade: A