5 teams that should actually consider taking Luis Castillo off Mariners' hands

It feels like the center cannot hold in the Seattle Mariners' starting rotation. There are six starters for five spots, and the plan to basically lump Luis Castillo and Bryce Miller into the same spot doesn't sound convincing. A better idea is a trade, specifically of Castillo.

This idea has been in the ether in some form or another for what has felt like years, and its time may finally be coming. Castillo was declining even before he ran his ERA up to 6.34 through his first nine starts of this year. As soon as Miller made an electric season debut, Castillo looked even more like the odd man out.

The question, then, is which teams should actually consider taking Castillo on. It's not so simple for reasons beyond his high ERA, as he also has high salaries (i.e., $24.15 million) remaining for the next two seasons. His contract also carries a $25 million vesting option for 2028, plus a $1 million assignment bonus if he's traded.

The 33-year-old nonetheless has credentials as a three-time All-Star, and one thing he can still do is take work off the bullpen's hands. He's typically good for 100 pitches per start.

These 5 teams need Luis Castillo more than the Mariners do right now

Atlanta Braves

True, Braves starters lead the National League with a 2.95 ERA. But that figure has a lot to do with a league-high strand rate of 80.3 percent, and the rotation as a whole only ranks 19th in fWAR.

This is also just a situation where the lack of stability just feels like a powder keg ready to explode. The Braves have given starts to nine different pitchers. And with respect to Bryce Elder and his only-vaguely-convincing 2.01 ERA, Chris Sale is the only regular starter who is truly trustworthy.

San Diego Padres

Though the Padres entered Sunday's slate nine games over .500, they have only scored two more runs than they have allowed. If that's not a flashing red light, their rotation's 4.51 ERA (23rd in MLB) and 215.1 innings (25th in MLB) should be.

Michael King and Randy Vásquez are solid up top, and maybe Lucas Giolito can be a reliable No. 3 following his return to the majors. There's otherwise nothing but uncertainty in San Diego's rotation depth chart, and even this diminished version of Castillo wouldn't add more to the pile.

Chicago Cubs

The Cubs are as hot as they come right now, but the state of their rotation had fans spooked even before the injuries hit. Matthew Boyd (knee) and Cade Horton (Tommy John) have had surgery since the season began, and Justin Steele had a setback in his own return from Tommy John surgery.

What's left is a thin-, homer-prone group of starters with a mediocre 4.05 ERA. Castillo isn't going to make the situation any worse, and his familiarity with the NL Central from his time with the Cincinnati Reds could only help.

Toronto Blue Jays

Only four teams have gotten fewer innings out of their starting pitchers than the Blue Jays, and is anyone really surprised? Injuries have really hurt this rotation, which has nothing but question marks after Dylan Cease, Kevin Gausman and Trey Yesavage.

Perhaps saying as much isn't giving Patrick Corbin enough credit, but come on. He has a 3.93 ERA through seven starts, but with a WHIP of 1.398 and only 22 strikeouts in 34.1 innings. Though Castillo has a higher WHIP, at least he's still fanning hitters (43 in 44.0 innings) at a decent rate.

Baltimore Orioles

This one is a bit of a throwback, and we don't even mean that in reference to when the Orioles acquired the other Luis Castillo. They were reportedly interested in the OG Luis Castillo last January.

They sure do need that Castillo now. Their rotation's 5.06 ERA is third from the bottom of MLB, and there isn't a single reliable starter among the bunch. At least among ostensible contenders, this is maybe the one rotation that Castillo could not only help, but potentially upgrade.

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