Luis Castillo’s new White Sox nightmare shows Mariners' 2026 could have been worse

It's undoubtedly been a terrible season in Seattle. Everything which could have gone wrong for the Mariners did, resulting in their first losing season since 2020 and the most losses since a year earlier. However, as disappointing as the 2026 campaign has been, what if we told you it could have been even worse?!

As confirmed by the White Sox on Thursday ahead of their series finale versus the Royals, Luis Castillo was placed on the 15-day injured list with right shoulder impingement. This is small mercy for the 33-year-old who, as bad as he looked this season with the Mariners, was worse after his trade to Chicago. He struggled so much that he was demoted to the bullpen, but even this didn't help and now the worst campaign of his 10 years in the majors has come to an end, highlighted by a career-low -1.5 bWAR.

To be clear, we really don't want this to come across as trying to dance on anyone's grave. However, the Mariners must be even more thankful now, that they traded him to the White Sox at the start of August. Can you imagine how much darker this season would have been in Seattle, if they hadn't gotten rid of Castillo when they did?

Luis Castillo just another component of a Mariners season which went completely awry

There was enough angst as it was when Castillo was still with the Mariners, whether it be the decision at times to deploy the much-derided piggyback system, or his reluctance to move to the bullpen. The M's would have had a real albatross on their hands if they kept hold on him. And now with the injury, this could have effectively killed any chances of an offseason trade.

Instead, the Mariners managed to unload Castillo and his remaining contract, which includes $22.75 million next season and a potential $25 million vesting option in 2025. It still boggles the mind that the White Sox agreed to take on his entire salary, but even more so that they also sent Seranthony Domínguez, Boston Smith and Nolan Jones to Seattle. Under any other circumstances, you would be calling 911 to report the M's for grand theft.

Domínguez has been excellent for the Mariners after overcoming some early stumbles, with a stellar 0.52 ERA in his last 15 appearances spanning 17.1 innings. As for Smith, at the time of the trade with the White Sox we felt his acquisition was too good to be true. And this has continued to be the case as his breakout year saw him produce a .990 OPS and 158 wRC+ as he played at three levels including Double-A.

We truly do hope that Castillo can find a way to bounce back next season in Chicago, just because of all that he did for the Mariners. This includes last season when, even though he was no longer at his peak, he was productive enough and proved to be the most durable member of the rotation. Ultimately though, the M's did well to part company when they did, to stop a disastrous season becoming even more of a train wreck.

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