The Mariners made one of the biggest splashes of last summer’s trade deadline when they brought in Luis Castillo from the Reds. The deal sent out four prospects, including two players generally regarded among the top 100 minor league talents in Noelvi Marte and Edwin Arroyo. At the time, Castillo was in his penultimate season of arbitration eligibility, but the M’s foreclosed any chance of him departing anytime soon. In September, the righty signed a five-year, $108MM extension that runs through 2027.
Castillo recently looked back on the pair of transactions, telling Bobby Nightengale of the Cincinnati Enquirer he’d initially hoped to sign a long-term deal to stay in Cincinnati. “I can’t really say anything because that’s obviously negotiations between the team and my agent,” he told Nightengale via interpreter. “Of course, I would’ve liked to stay. I had a family there and was there quite some time.” The two-time All-Star added he acclimated to Seattle more quickly than he’d anticipated, however, pointing to the presence of former Cincinnati teammates Eugenio Suárez and Jesse Winker on the Mariners roster.
The Reds and Castillo had discussed extension parameters before the trade, though general manager Nick Krall told reporters after the swap that the sides hadn’t been close. That wasn’t surprising, as Cincinnati has gone into a rebuild over the past couple seasons and shipped out a number of big leaguers for further off young talent. Seattle is firmly in win-now mode, with Castillo joining Robbie Ray, Logan Gilbert and George Kirby in a strong front four.
In other situations out of Seattle:
- Outfield prospect Cade Marlowe recently suffered a right oblique strain, he told reporters this afternoon (relayed by Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times). The 25-year-old described the strain as very mild but will soon meet with training staff to determine a recovery plan. Even minor oblique strains can sideline players for multiple weeks, so the injury could delay Marlowe’s big league debut. A left-handed hitter, he raked at a .291/.380/.483 clip with 20 home runs and 36 stolen bases through 120 Double-A contests last season. Marlowe secured a late-season call to Triple-A and garnered some consideration for a depth role at the MLB level headed into the postseason. That never transpired, though Marlowe was added to the 40-man roster over the winter and figures to debut at some point during the upcoming campaign. Seattle has Julio Rodríguez and Teoscar Hernández locked into two outfield spots, with Jarred Kelenic and AJ Pollock presumably set for a platoon in the final position. The M’s will already be without Taylor Trammell well into the season after he underwent hand surgery last month.
- There’s another injury further down the outfield depth chart. Divish tweets that non-roster outfielder Jack Larsen fractured a hamate bone in his hand and will undergo surgery. The 28-year-old Larsen spent most of last season in Double-A, where he hit .269/.371/.407 with an excellent 13.6% walk percentage across 528 plate appearances. He earned the briefest of big league promotions, appearing in one game and striking out in his only MLB at-bat. Seattle ran him through outright waivers in August, keeping him in the upper minors without a 40-man roster spot. Larsen wasn’t likely in consideration for an Opening Day role but he’d have served as a depth possibility if healthy. He’ll surely start the season on the minor league injured list now.
This is just so disappointing to read as a Reds’ fan. That is not a lot of money for a pitcher of his caliber.
Could you inagine that rotation if they still had Castillo and Mahle?
Neither really old yet and payroll still in the 120 million range.
They had both just last year and still lost 100. They need 24 more good players to be competitive.
The season didn’t end on July last I checked.
A lot of those games were lost due to a crappy bullpen thry did nothing to improve.
I’ll take Greene, Lofolo and Ashcraft against any young starters in baseball. Its beyond that that it gets scary because they did nothing excepy dumpster dive to improve the rotation either.
Pitchers of Luis Castillo’s caliber are getting $30-45m/yr. I can’t believe Seattle got him to sign, and we’ll have him for at least 6 years counting last year.
Seattle outbid the Yanks, because we had the top Farm System at the time, and the Yankees had to settle moving on to Plan B with Montas, and Montas had a 6.5 era after being traded to the Yankees, and Now our most or all of 2023. Lol
Regarding Luis Castillo, there was a thing that just broke wonderfully for the Mariners.
I can hardly wait for the season to start. Wondering already who will be the opening pitcher for the season. Ray, probably, but I don’t know.
As a jays fan, you also won the Teoscar trade. Congrats!
I think they go..
Castillo (R)
Ray (L)
Gilbert (R)
Gonzalez (L)
Kirby (R)
But whatever, PLAY BALL!
I know it’s not apples to apples as it wasn’t the same year but I would rather have Castillo at his extension than Berrios at his. But good get by Seattle and…aggressive extension by Atkins.
Cashman dropped the ball on this one big time…
Well that sucks. Marlowe has been heating up this spring but I guess we will have to wait on him. A potentially exciting season to watch kelenic however, plus some young pitchers.
They “hadn’t been close.” Wtf? He signed a very friendly deal with Seattle.
Once Suarez and Castillo went to the M’s (and the reds have no interest in being competitive for the next decade) I became a Seattle fan. It’s a little tougher to catch a game though!
Seattle could really use a LHH utility player with options who could play the outfield corners and some 3B.
Easy, right?
Is that “you” Hummel?
If he could legitimately handle 3B, that would be great. But that it’s a little late to try to improvise now. That would have made an interesting assignment for the offseason.
Oh boy here we go with Mr.Gloom & Doom. Stevil, as a fan you should be excited about the upcoming season, there is a lot to be positive about!
Don’t really se Stevil as doom and gloom. I see his takes mostly honest and fair. I don’t always agree but respect what he says.
How about I be a fan the way I choose and you mind your own business?
I always try to look at things rationally.
Nobody should be surprised if we see a fallback option acquired. It wouldn’t mean the team isn’t good, it would simy tell us that there is real concern with the depth.
I think some people are forgetting that Moore & Haggerty are coming off surgeries, and La Stella hasn’t been 100% for 2± years.