The Mariners traded for Reds SP Luis Castillo and it’s a wonderful move

Over the last couple of weeks, we have all been hoping and wishing for the Mariners to make some kind of big, splashy trade. Friday night, Dipoto and crew came through by going out and getting arguably the biggest starting pitcher available, Luis Castillo from the Reds.

We didn’t have anything up right away as I was out playing baseball. Then, I decided to give it a full day to fully take in the trade. It’s why we haven’t had anything out until Sunday, two days later.

So, how are we feeling about the Luis Castillo trade for the Mariners?

First off, we have to look at what the Mariners gave up in the deal.

The Mariners gave up three of their top six prospects, and top two SS prospects as well. HOWEVER! It’s important to know a few things about this position for the Mariners. Noelvi Marte was not going to stay there. He has been straight up bad on defense there. In 81 games, he had 24 errors there. That’s putrid.

Then, there is Arroyo. That does hurt seeing him go, but the Mariners have someone better waiting in the wings. They are set to sign Felnin Celesten in the upcoming International signing period, one of if not THE top prospect in the class. He’s a shortstop, and will instantly jump into the Mariners top prospect rankings.

So, the Mariners gave up a great hitting prospect who might be able to play third, but there have been rumblings he might have to be an LF. Then, a good young SS might just be replaced by a younger better one.

Yes, I’m trying to find the bright side here in this. I like Marte and Arroyo, but I like Castillo and having a top 5 rotation in all of baseball even more.

Then there is Levi Stoudt. I really need to stop interviewing Mariners prospects, because that makes five of them now that have been traded. Stoudt has a nasty change, and if he can keep his velo up (mid-high 90s), he can be dangerous. There is a chance they move him to reliever so he can sit high 90s with the nasty change, but time will tell. Andrew Moore is a A ball reliever with a high strikeout rate, but he is a few years out at least.

Think about the Mariners rotation now that they have added Luis Castillo.

1. Robbie Ray
2. Logan Gilbert
3. Luis Castillo
4. Marco Gonzales
5. Chris Flexen
6. George Kirby (likely to miss starts and end up in the pen to keep IP down)

Out of all six, Robbie Ray actually has the worst ERA. We’ve all seen just how dominant he can be though, as evidenced by his seven-game stretch with an ERA in the low 1’s.

The Mariners still need to go out and get a bat, especially with the recent news that Dylan Moore and Julio Rodriguez have both gone on the 10-day IL. Add to that, Ty France is going for an MRI after a flare up in his wrist. Kelenic was called up though, so maybe he can be a nice little spark on offense.

The Mariners have a lot of big bats out right now, so if they can get them back, the offense will look just fine. We do know one thing. The Luis Castillo trade shows that the team is serious about competing, and doing what they can to make a push for the playoffs to end the streak. I like the move, and am ecstatic to have Luis Castillo on the Mariners. Go Mariners!