Luis Castillo

On Friday night, the Cincinnati Reds traded one of their best pitchers that has played in Great American Ball Park. Following the deal that sent ace Luis ...

They both fit the timeline of the strong farm system the Reds are building around. Around 2024, the Reds are hoping to pair both of them with De La Cruz, Barrero, McLain, Jonathan India and Tyler Stephenson as the core of the team. “We had to make ourselves better for the long haul.” It didn’t matter to Krall that the Reds already had three of their top prospects playing shortstop. The last time, in the mid-2010s, the Reds hardly received any big league impact from the prospects they received by trading Johnny Cueto, Jay Bruce, Aroldis Chapman and Todd Frazier. In addition to Levi Stoudt, a Double-A starter and a former third-round pick, the Reds acquired Andrew Moore, whose fastball has hit 102 mph.

The Mariners netted another high-quality starter while the Reds received a couple of good infield prospects.

Stoudt, 24, is a small right-hander who is positioned to be the first member of the package to reach the majors. The Reds extracted the two best prospects from a good Seattle farm system in exchange for a year and a half of Castillo in a market-setting deal that feels ripped from the past. He's never struck out in more than 22 percent of his plate appearances over a full season, yet he's reliably worked walks in at least nine percent of his trips to the plate. Factor in Cincinnati's selection of Cam Collier in the draft, easily the best value in the first round, and the Reds have added three high-grade position player prospects to their farm system in a matter of weeks. The question mark with his game has been his bat, but he's a switch-hitter who has held his own despite being significantly younger than his competition in his first full professional season. Granted, it's never easy to trade a pitcher of Castillo's caliber, especially when he stands out as one of the franchise's biggest recent scouting and development wins. The Reds are in full talent accumulation mode at this point, and it's fair to write that they netted a handsome return for their ace and his season and a half of remaining team control. After missing the start of the season because of shoulder woes, he's recovered to post a 2.86 ERA (160 ERA+) and a 3.21 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 14 starts. They rushed to dump catcher Tucker Barnhart for a non-prospect and they surrendered lefty Wade Miley on waivers to the Chicago Cubs. Both moves were inexplicable, even at the time, and suggested the Reds would be taking the long, hard, cheap road back to relevancy. Castillo also sinks his fastball and throws a slider, but for our money, it's the four-seamer and changeup that makes him good. This is the kind of trade you make when you haven't made the playoffs in more than two decades. Castillo should reinforce a rotation -- both this season and next -- that already includes reigning Cy Young Award winner Robbie Ray and quality youngsters Logan Gilbert and George Kirby. His addition comes at a steep prospect cost for the Mariners, but that goes to show how serious top exec Jerry Dipoto is about snapping the sport's longest playoff drought.

While Robbie Ray has been up and down as the reigning Cy Young winner and Logan Gilbert has been their most reliable pitcher, the other spots in the rotation ...

For Dipoto, that has to be the priority. Their bullpen has been in surprisingly good shape post-All-Star Break, and they don't have the assets to chase another star. At the very least, though, the Mariner bats should be able to rally behind Castillo in a way the Reds didn't. For starters, the Mariners are out. The Mariners will probably end up sticking with their five-man rotation, with either Marco Gonzales or Chris Flexen getting bumped. The Mariners don't have the benefit of thinking about their future. And the Padres have James Wood and Eguy Rosario, along with MLB talents MacKenzie Gore and C.J. Abrams. The Mets and Yankees are also dark horses. The deal is huge for a Mariners team that desperately needed help on the back end of the rotation. The Yankees reportedly had prized prospect Anthony Volpe off the table, per Joel Sherman. The Dodgers are likely in deep talks for Juan Soto that may have tied up the likes of Diego Cartaya and Bobby Miller. Last season, the Mariners landed Tyler Anderson and Diego Castillo at the deadline, giving up several prospects and Kendall Graveman in the process. They're looking ahead to the future.

If Cincinnati didn't want to contend with its talent, it's nice that the Mariners do.

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An in-depth breakdown and grading piece of the Seattle Mariners-Cincinnati Reds Luis Castillo blockbuster trade deadline deal.

They needed to swing a big deal and they got a star pitcher. And when you haven’t made the playoffs in 20-plus years, overpaying on the trade block isn’t always a bad thing. Andrew Moore is a right-handed pitcher who offers high velocity but needs to work on control. As a result, Castillo was selected to the All-Star game. Stoudt is a left-handed pitcher who features a mid-high 90’s fastball and a tremendous splitter. Luis Castillo had been the Reds ace for a few years. Luis Castillo seemed destined to be traded to the New York Yankees or Los Angeles Dodgers. Almost every rumor indicated that one of the big market teams would get a deal done for the Cincinnati Reds ace. This deal likely removes the Mariners from Juan Soto consideration. Marte, a 6’1 shortstop, has impressive tools. He has plenty of natural pop in his bat to go along with a quality hit tool. But the Mariners clearly believe in Luis Castillo. Instead, the Seattle Mariners swooped in and landed Castillo. But was it a good trade for Seattle? Let’s breakdown this blockbuster deal between the Mariners and Reds.

The Mariners made the first major deal of the deadline, landing Reds ace Luis Castillo.

For Dipoto, that has to be the priority. Their bullpen has been in surprisingly good shape post-All-Star Break, and they don't have the assets to chase another star. At the very least, though, the Mariner bats should be able to rally behind Castillo in a way the Reds didn't. For starters, the Mariners are out. The Mariners will probably end up sticking with their five-man rotation, with either Marco Gonzales or Chris Flexen getting bumped. The Mariners don't have the benefit of thinking about their future. And the Padres have James Wood and Eguy Rosario, along with MLB talents MacKenzie Gore and C.J. Abrams. The Mets and Yankees are also dark horses. The deal is huge for a Mariners team that desperately needed help on the back end of the rotation. The Yankees reportedly had prized prospect Anthony Volpe off the table, per Joel Sherman. The Dodgers are likely in deep talks for Juan Soto that may have tied up the likes of Diego Cartaya and Bobby Miller. Last season, the Mariners landed Tyler Anderson and Diego Castillo at the deadline, giving up several prospects and Kendall Graveman in the process. They're looking ahead to the future.

The Mariners swung a blockbuster trade with the Reds for right-hander Luis Castillo on Friday night, sending four players -- including three of their top five prospects -- to Cincinnati to acquire the 29-year-old, who was widely considered to be the ...

Seattle improved its offense with the addition of Carlos Santana earlier in July and has now has addressed its rotation with its trade for Castillo, but you can never count out general manager Jerry Dipoto when it comes to the trade market. With Castillo off the board, the spotlight is now on the A’s Frankie Montas, the second-best pitcher on the market after Castillo. Many of the teams that were in on Castillo could shift their focus to Montas (the Yankees already have) driving up his price tag. (Perhaps Cubs catcher Willson Contreras?) The White Sox and Guardians are in the market for pitching help, while the Orioles might opt to sell despite their surprising success this season. They still aren’t a lock to make the playoffs with the AL West crown likely out of reach and so many teams bunched together in the AL Wild Card race, but this trade is a step in the right direction as Seattle looks to solidify its hold on one of the Wild Card spots. If Toronto and Seattle continue to separate themselves from the pack, five teams could be vying for one Wild Card spot. Dan Szymborski's ZiPS projection system bumped the Mariners' postseason chances up to 84% after the trade.

By acquiring starting pitcher Luis Castillo from the Reds on Friday, Seattle locked down the top arm on the trade market and significantly strengthened their ...

But a guy with this kind of velocity, and this kind of advanced command of a large arsenal? The wave of young pitchers the Mariners have at or near the major-league level — from Gilbert to Kirby to Matt Brash and Emerson Hancock and more — represent a bright future, but Dipoto recognized that the best play for the present was to strengthen the rotation with a veteran arm. He’s got power and command and has been able to keep the ball in the park in a terrible park for pitchers — he’ll enjoy getting out of Cincinnati. … There’s always debate about what makes a true ace. … Look, you can argue that no team needs a trip to the playoffs more than the Mariners … but they did give up two extremely promising prospects to get Castillo, and I think there’s a very strong likelihood this trade looks lopsided in favor of the Reds in a few years. The price was high, as the Mariners parted with three of their top five prospects, but there’s reason to believe Castillo will provide enough value over the next 15 months to make the cost worthwhile, even if he goes elsewhere in free agency. We’re giving the Mariners an A because we think teams — particularly those who aren’t the usual suspects — prioritizing the potential for deep playoff runs is healthier for the sport, and because we quite like Castillo as a pitcher. Yes, the trade helps the Mariners for this season and next, but given how the Astros have crushed them in five games of late, Seattle hardly looks like a World Series contender in 2022 (but you have to get in to have a chance!). WOW! I honestly wondered if the Mariners should make a huge move given their prospect pool … and if that huge move should involve the Nats’ Juan Soto. But when you’ve got an intriguing team with an already-solid rotation and a lineup really putting it all together, this might be a time to shove in some of your chips. The Mariners aren’t better than the Astros or Yankees … but when you enter the postseason with a pitcher like Castillo as your ace, your chances go up in a playoff series. Stephen Nesbitt: Castillo immediately elevates the Mariners rotation: He and Robbie Ray will be a dandy one-two punch in the playoffs. … The added bonus is Castillo is also under team control for 2023, giving the Mariners six viable starting pitcher options for next season in Castillo, Gilbert, Kirby, Robbie Ray, Marco Gonzales and Chris Flexen. Of course, there’s still that offense that needs upgrading. Castillo is in the middle of an All-Star year, with a 2.86 ERA and 90 Ks in 85 innings.

SEATTLE (AP) — After more than two decades without a playoff appearance, the Seattle Mariners made a clear statement Friday night they intend to see t...

He has a $7.35 million salary this season, is eligible for arbitration next winter and can become a free agent after the 2023 season. Levi Stoudt has a chance to be a major league starter. “Noelvi Marte has a chance to be an impact middle-of-the-order bat who can play shortstop,“ Krall said. “To have my name in the fans’ mouth and having them cheer me on, it is something I will treasure forever.” Getting back into the AL West race may be out of the question with Houston holding a 12-game lead. “He’s one of the best pitchers in the game. But the Mariners are 3-5 since, following an 11-1 loss at Houston on Friday night. His fastball is up to 102 (mph) with a plus slider.” Dominant starting pitcher, and I’m anxious to meet him.” Acquired from Miami before the 2017 season, Castillo is a two-time All-Star with a 44-53 record and 3.62 ERA in six seasons. A 29-year-old right-hander, Castillo was 4-4 with a 2.86 ERA for the last-place Reds (38-61), striking out 90 and walking 28 in 85 innings. You have to step out and take a chance once in a while if you ultimately want to get the reward, take a little risk.