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No pitcher in the Seattle Mariners starting rotation has been featured in more trade rumors than Luis Castillo. The right-hander was mentioned in rumors involving the Boston Red Sox and Chicago Cubs, but there's yet to be any official movement. Recently, the Baltimore Orioles reached out to the Mariners about a trade package for Castillo, which could help things progress.
One National League team that has expressed interest in Castillo is the San Francisco Giants. Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle proposed a hypothetical Mariners-Giants with SF on the prowl for more pitching. New Giants President of Baseball Operations Buster Posey has yet to make a trade in his brief tenure, but he's been impactful with his acquisitions.
Slusser posited a Luis Castillo-for-LaMonte Wade Jr. deal that improves the Giants rotation and helps the Mariners clear payroll while adding to their offense. Additionally, this clears a path for Giants top prospect Bryce Eldridge, who should be ready relatively soon.
On paper, this trade makes sense. The Mariners need a first baseman (and/or any sort of offensive infusion) for the 2025 season. Wade Jr. turned in a solid season in 2024 for the San Francisco Giants, where he put up 2.1 bWAR in 117 games. He was coming off a career-high .380 OBP last year. Keep in mind that Wade Jr. put up these numbers playing his home games at a notorious pitcher-friendly ballpark in Oracle Park.
One downside to this trade is that Wade Jr. has only one year of team control left, as he will be a free agent in 2026. That said, trading for Wade Jr. would be a cheaper alternative than having to shell out a massive long-term contract for a potential free agent first baseman such as Pete Alonso. Wade Jr. will be paid $4.3 million this season before becoming an unrestricted free agent.
With spring training drawing closer, the Mariners have yet to add upgrades to their infield. Trading Castillo would more than likely solve this issue, and with their options dwindling, the Mariners can't afford to keep waiting around.