3 bad contract swaps Mariners could pursue to finally unload Luis Castillo

If the Seattle Mariners do nothing else in these last few days before the August 3 trade deadline, addition by subtraction should be on the menu. In theory, they can do that by trading Luis Castillo and calling up Kade Anderson to take his place.

That's the "what," anyway. The "how" is more complicated.

As Castillo showed yet again in allowing 11 hits and two walks in 5.0 innings of five-run ball against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday, he's the weak link in Seattle's six-man rotation. He's ultimately a 33-year-old with -0.7 rWAR and eminently hittable stuff, and he's still owed $30.6 million through 2027.

The best thing for the rest of 2026 might be to simply move Castillo to the bullpen, but it's easier said than done. A three-time All-Star arguably deserves more respect than that, and then there's the question of whether keeping him in the bullpen would remain a viable solution for 2027.

The Mariners should call up the Mets, Red Sox and Orioles and talk bad contract swaps

As trade options go, Daniel Kramer of MLB.com reported that the Mariners could be willing to eat some money to move Castillo. Mark Feinsand (also of MLB.com) otherwise pitched the possibility of the Mariners attaching the veteran righty to a prospect in a trade offer.

The most straightforward solution, though, involves moving Castillo in a deal that brings back a player under a similarly bad contract. And even in limiting the field to deals set to expire after next season, there are a few such options out there.

DH/1B Jorge Polanco, New York Mets

This would be hilarious. Polanco purportedly did not want to leave Seattle as a free agent last winter. but a two-year, $40 million offer from the Mets was too good to turn down. But what if he ended up back in the Pacific Northwest after all?

It isn't a totally unhinged idea, if for no other reason than the money Polanco is still owed ($27.7 million) through 2027 is comparable to what Castillo has coming his way. And if the last-place Mets are going to merely retool rather than rebuild, it makes sense to seek options for the 2027 rotation.

Back in Seattle, Polanco could take over everyday DH duties, with Dominic Canzone supplanting Luke Raley in right field. Then the question would be whether the 33-year-old Polanco could break out again, as he's thus far managed just a .431 OPS in an injury-shortened season. There would be no guarantees, but the Mariners would at least know how high the ceiling goes.

RF Tyler O'Neill, Baltimore Orioles

This would technically be another reunion, even if O'Neill originally left the Mariners organization almost a decade ago in the trade that brought back Marco Gonzales in 2017.

As for how things have gone for the muscly 31-year-old since then, the relevant part is how much he hasn't hit in two seasons with Baltimore. In 406 total plate appearances, he's batted .204 with a .677 OPS. As per usual, his strikeout rate is up around 30 percent.

Even so, this is a guy with a career 138 wRC+ against lefties from the right side of the plate. He's also owed a little less ($22.2 million) than Castillo through the end of next season, so the Mariners could even save some money if they could exploit the Orioles' desperation for useful starting pitchers. Even if O'Neill would functionally be a second Rob Refsnyder for Seattle, that might not be a bad thing.

SS Trevor Story, Boston Red Sox

Story is making $25 million annually through next season, but where he and Castillo differ is in that Story also has a $5 million buyout on a 2028 club option. Another complication is that starting pitching isn't exactly a need for Boston.

But since the Red Sox just traded Connelly Early and can't count on getting Garrett Crochet back this year, they and the Mariners wouldn't be off their rockers to talk about a Castillo-for-Story swap. It's not as if the Red Sox are committed to Story. There's a ton of noise about them exploring the shortstop market while he awaits a rehab assignment.

For their part, the Mariners would have some assurance that Story would return from sports hernia surgery before the end of 2026. They could then use him as an everyday shortstop or as a platoon option at short, second base and DH. He had a 25-25 season just last year, and he boasts a career 130 wRC+ against lefties.

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