SEATTLE – As prices for high-end starting pitchers have swelled this week, the Seattle Mariners have received an increasing number of calls from other teams interested in veteran starter Luis Castillo.
Discussions about a potential trade have not advanced beyond the “exploratory” stage, a source with knowledge of the situation said, but the Mariners have been willing to listen on Castillo.
The Mariners appear to be well-positioned to take advantage of market demands for pitching, and Castillo’s contract – $72 million over the next three years – could make him an attractive alternative for clubs seeking a proven arm.
Castillo, who turned 32 on Thursday, does have a full no-trade clause through 2025, which could represent a hurdle in any trade. The Mariners have notified Castillo about the possibility of a trade, MLB.com reported.
Since the end of the season, Mariners executives Jerry Dipoto and Justin Hollander have been consistent in their public comments about the team’s starting pitchers. They would rather not trade any of them, and Dipoto called that possibility “Plan Z” this offseason.
But the rising market for pitchers – coupled with the Mariners’ need for offensive upgrades – makes a trade of a Seattle starter more likely now.
Notably, free-agent left-hander Max Fried, 30, agreed this week to an eight-year, $218 million contract with the New York Yankees. That leaves Corbin Burnes, 30, as the last remaining ace available in the market, and Burnes is expected to top Fried’s deal in ongoing negotiations with the San Francisco Giants and Toronto Blue Jays, among others, per reports.
Other veteran pitchers – Blake Snell (seven years, $182M), Nathan Eovaldi (three years, $75M), Luis Severino (three years, $67M) and Yusei Kikuchi (three years, $63M) – have signed deals above industry expectations.
The Boston Red Sox have been persistent in their pursuit of a Mariners starter, a source said, even after the Red Sox traded four prospects to the Chicago White Sox for Garrett Crochet on Wednesday.
Earlier this offseason, the Mariners shot down a one-for-one offer that would have sent one of Seattle’s young starters, Bryce Miller or Bryan Woo, to Boston for 24-year-old first baseman Triston Casas.
The Mariners have had free-agent first baseman Christian Walker atop their wish list since the start of the offseason.
The 34-year-old Walker has a 123 OPS+ with 95 homers and three NL Gold Gloves over the past three seasons with the Arizona Diamondbacks, but he is expected to sign a free-agent deal that would currently be beyond the Mariners’ budget.
Industry projections expect Walker to sign a multi-year deal with an annual value between $20 million to $25 million.
As things stand, Mariners have about $15 million available in their 2025 budget, sources have told The Times.
If the Mariners traded Castillo, though, that would free up his $22.75 million salary for 2025, pushing the Mariners’ payroll space to roughly $38 million.
That, in turn, could allow the Mariners to target two of their most coveted hitters: Walker and Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner.
Dominoes would have to fall just right for all of that to align for the Mariners. Could it work?
The Mariners and Cubs have had discussions this offseason about alignment on various deals, and the Cubs have expressed interest in Castillo, a source said.
Hoerner, 28, is owed $11.5 million for 2025 and $12 million for 2026.
It is not clear how the Cubs’ blockbuster trade for Astros right fielder Kyle Tucker, as ESPN reported Friday, could affect any possible deal between the Cubs and Mariners.
But the numbers would conceivably work for Seattle’s budget with Hoerner slotted in at $11.5 million and Walker signing for something in the neighborhood of $25 million per year.
Walker’s interest in the Mariners is not known. The New York Yankees and Washington Nationals are other teams reportedly interested in signing Walker.
Any potential trade of a starting pitcher would likely be independent of the Mariners’ pursuit of Japanese ace Roki Sasaki, who will generate robust interest from virtually every major-league team.
Sasaki’s agent, Joel Wolfe, said the 23-year-old right-hander won’t sign until after Jan. 15, when MLB’s new international signing period begins. As an international amateur, Sasaki is only eligible to sign under bonus-pool limits.
Sasaki’s intentions aren’t known, but the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres are widely viewed as the favorites to sign him. The Mariners are considered a long-shot.