MLB insider reveals Mariners' problems with Luis Castillo trade efforts

In an ideal world, the Seattle Mariners would prefer not to break up a rotation which is arguably the best in the Majors. Just last season, their starters combined to rank No. 1 in baseball with a 3.38 ERA, 1.03 WHIP and .222 opposing team batting average.

However, these are not ideal times in Seattle, with the front office apparently only having around $15 million in payroll space to go towards resolving their multiple infield position needs. As a result, this is why they are resorting to moving one of their starters to help find a quality bat, preferably at second or third base.

More specifically, we are talking about three-time All-Star Luis Castillo, due in part to him being the oldest (and most expensive) member of the Mariners' regular stating rotation. And certainly there has been some understandable interest in him.

Having said this, moving Castillo is not going to be as straightforward as some would assume, mostly due to his slight decline over the last two years. The 2023 season saw him lead the Mariners rotation with 33 starts, 14 wins and a 3.34 ERA, as he pitched well enough to finish fifth in voting for the AL Cy Young Award.

Mariners Rumors: What's the holdup in Luis Castillo trade talks?

However, last season saw a concerning dip in the 32-year-old's effectiveness, which could be compromising his value in a trade sense. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic (subscription required) laid out a number of reasons why this is an issue, including how the righty's strikeout rate dropped from 27.3 in 2023 to 24.3 percent last season.

Rosenthal also makes reference to a slight but concerning decline in Castillo's average fastball velocity the last couple of years. In 2022, he averaged 97 mph, then 96.1 the following year, and then 95.6 last season.

As a final note from the MLB reporter, Castillo's excellent 2.89 ERA at home is in stark contrast to his 4.06 on the road. T-Mobile Park is renowned for being a pitcher's ballpark, but irrespective of this, an ERA in excess of 4.00 on your travels is simply not good enough for a pitcher who is meant to be a front-end starter.

In this respect, it has to be noted that the former Cincinnati Red was the least productive starter in the Mariners' regular rotation last season, which included Logan Gilbert, George Kirby, Bryce Miller and Bryan Woo. His 3.64 ERA, 3.91 FIP, 1.169 WHIP and 1.8 WAR were not terrible in their own right, but the optics aren't good when you're meant to be the staff ace and instead ranking fifth in each category.

Which brings us to one final issue in any attempts by the Mariners to trade Castillo for a quality infield bat: his salary. He is set to make $22.75 million in each of the next three seasons, which could prove to be a sticking point for any potential trade partner. (And don't count on the Mariners being willing to retain any of his salary to help facilitate a move.)

Again, in his own right, the Dominican Republic native is a quality starting pitcher, who can certainly help any number of Major League ball clubs out there. However, the combination of his age, showing signs of decline, and salary, it's going to make it tougher for the Mariners to get what they want (and need) in return.

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