Luis CastilloThearon W. Henderson/Getty Images
Morosi says that the Baltimore Orioles and Seattle Mariners have “talked before and in recent days” about a trade involving Luis Castillo.
Though this report is coming after Baltimore’s deals with Charlie Morton and Tomoyuki Sugano, it isn’t surprising. As Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported, those did not take the Orioles out of the pitching market. They specifically need a No. 1 to fill the shoes that Corbin Burnes vacated when he signed with the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Paradoxically, though, Castillo’s fastball remains one of the most valuable pitches in MLB. And he’s nothing if not a workhorse, as he’s made at least 30 starts five times in eight seasons.
Rob Friedman @PitchingNinja
Luis Castillo, Destroying the Side in the 1st. <a href=”https://t.co/NGeXdb2UEj”>pic.twitter.com/NGeXdb2UEj</a>
The bigger holdup here may concern Castillo’s cost, in more ways than one.
Castillo is owed $24.2 million in each of the next three seasons, and he likely doesn’t have much surplus value. That could be why the Orioles are interested, as Rosenthal says they’re disinclined to trade Jackson Holliday, Colton Cowser, Jordan Westburg, Heston Kjerstad or Coby Mayo.
Yet for their part, the Mariners are said to be “frustrated” with what teams have been willing to offer for Castillo. That scans, as Rosenthal had previously reported that they’ll only move him if the deal makes them better now.
Prediction: Castillo does become an Oriole, but not for any of the names mentioned above.