New Mariners trade candidate reportedly emerges in Luis Castillo talks

With the front office's unwillingness to trade away the younger arms in the rotation, the Seattle Mariners seem to be utilizing their veteran ace, Luis Castilo, as the leading asset in any trade talks this offseason.

Not only would he provide clear value for his next team, such a move would allow Seattle to potentially save upwards of $100 million on the rest of his contract if they're able to get it off the books. Initial discussions with the Red Sox ultimately fell through, but it seems like another up-and-coming contender in the AL East could now be interested.

On MLB Network, Jon Morosi recently stated that the Orioles have reignited old conversations about potentially acquiring Castillo from the Mariners. Baltimore's need is obvious. After losing Corbin Burnes in free agency, their rotation is missing a true ace. Zach Eflin and Grayson Rodriguez could be great but the organization is in search of additional starters, which explains their most recent free agent signing.

With the Yankees and Red Sox making big moves to bolster their rosters, the Orioles will need to keep up or be left behind in the division.

Mariners Rumors: Orioles emerge as Luis Castillo trade candidate

What would the haul be for the Mariners? It hasn't been discussed just yet but given Baltimore's wealth of outstanding talent with plenty of team control, Seattle has a plethora of quality targets. Unfortunately, it seems like the team has struggled to get what they believe to be equal value in return for Castillo, so this may not be the avenue to end up acquiring Coby Mayo or Heston Kjerstad.

Furthermore, it seems like the Mariners would be more concerned about winning now rather than acquiring minor leaguers who need a few more years before they're big-league ready.

This could be an inflection point that determines the overall direction of Seattle's offseason. If they do manage to move Castillo and get a few solid pieces back, they can turn around and deploy the newly freed up money into acquiring a free agent, preferably an older infielder that would only need to be signed on a short-term deal. This would give top prospects Colt Emerson and Cole Young just enough time to develop and reach their full potential as players before joining the major league squad.

If the Mariners fail to make a deal, there isn't much left to trade away. Outside of their starting pitching depth, Seattle simply can't spare any quality bats. If they do get to Opening Day having done not much more than they have already, it may be a tough 162-game stretch for Mariners fans, but hopefully the Orioles feel they can part with an offensive asset or two.