Most expected the Braves to bolster their rotation this offseason. It hasn’t happened to this point, but it’s not for a lack of trying.
The Braves were reportedly serious threats to the Phillies for Aaron Nola, who needed to up their offer to seven years, $172 million to retain him. Alex Anthopoulos has also said the team has been involved in numerous conversations with other clubs about potential trades, but nothing has come to fruition. That’s not to say it won’t happen, though. There are still several months left in the offseason and numerous blockbuster trades that will go down before Opening Day.
The most talked about names on the market following the Tyler Glasnow trade are Dylan Cease and Corbin Burnes, but one name to keep an eye on, according to Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times, is Luis Castillo. He went on MLB Network the day after Christmas and said the Mariners don’t want to trade a starter, but they might have to in order to shed salary.
If I’m the Mariners, I’m hanging onto Luis Castillo. He’s coming off an All-Star campaign in which he finished fifth in the AL Cy Young race, will be 31 years old next season, and is under team control through 2027 at a relatively team-friendly rate of $22.75 million AAV.
However, finances often force teams to do things they don’t want to do, and for whatever reason, there seems to be a money problem in Seattle. Castillo is a stud, but the Mariners have a surplus of talented pitchers, so they could afford to move him in hopes of getting better offensively and shedding salary.
The Braves and Mariners already worked out one trade this offseason, as Atlanta acquired outfielder Jarred Kelenic along with the contracts of Marco Gonzales and Evan White. It was almost purely a salary dump, as the only worthwhile prospect the Mariners got back in return was Cole Phillips, who has yet to even pitch a professional inning.
Moving Castillo would be much more than a salary dump. Star pitchers in their prime with several years of control rarely become available. The Braves have far from the healthiest farm system, but they do have some pieces that could intrigue the Mariners if they are willing to take on the entirety of his contract.
But whether Seattle looks to trade Luis Castillo or not, they are a team to watch the remainder of the offseason. They have a lot of pitchers that could interest the Braves, and the Kelenic trade suggests there is already a working relationship between the two GMs.
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