Reds rumor: Cincinnati's stance on Luis Castillo trade after slow start

The Cincinnati Reds are rumored to be reconsidering a possible trade for Luis Castillo and Tyler Mahle after a terrible start to the season.

The Cincinnati Reds are the worst team in baseball right now, and it looks likely that they're destined for a roster overhaul at the MLB trade deadline. Heading into the season, the Reds were adamant that they'd be holding onto Luis Castillo and Tyler Mahle this season, but after coming out the gates 5-22 on the year, they may have a change of heart. The latest rumor from Peter Gammons suggests the Reds could very well be open to moving on from both Castillo and Mahle amid their abhorrent start to the 2022 season.

Tales:Some club people say Reds now willing to talk Luis Castillo and Tyler Mahle, Dodgers will move David Price to give him starting opportunity and two GMs today said A’s won’t trade Frankie Montas for at least two months. The Montas chase will be the running of the bulls.

— Peter Gammons (@pgammo) May 9, 2022

Gammons indicates that the Reds are now willing to enter conversations with clubs about a potential trade for their pitchers, a significant change from where they stood prior to the season. The Reds find themselves dead last in the NL Central, and just won their first series of the season this weekend. Still, things don't seem likely to improve too much in Cincinnati, and they could look to cut bait with Mahle and Castillo in order to expedite their rebuild.

Castillo just made his 2022 season debut on Monday in a start against the Milwaukee Brewers. He'd been sidelined for the start of the season after suffering shoulder soreness during Spring Training. Last year, Castillo started 33 games for the Reds, throwing 187.2 innings. He recorded a 3.98 ERA with 192 strikeouts, but racked up the walks with a league-leading 75. Still, various teams, including the Yankees, expressed significant interest in adding him to their pitching staff.

Mahle, much like the Reds as a whole, is off to a rough start this season, with a 6.46 ERA across 7 starts. He has surrendered 22 runs in 30.2 innings, walking 17 batters in that span. It's been tough sledding for Mahle, who just last year recorded a 3.75 ERA with 210 strikeouts.