Could the trade value of Luis Castillo go up depending on the contracts landed by this offseason's free agent starters?
Castillo is guaranteed $91 million over the next four seasons with a 2028 vesting option for another $25 million. The righthander has a full no-trade clause through 2025 with a $1 million assignment bonus thereafter.
Castillo was born the same month as current free agent starters Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery. The projected contract for Snell ranges from five years, $122 million at
The Athletic to seven years, $200 million at
MLB Trade Rumors. Montgomery's projected contract ranges from five years, $127 million at
The Athletic to six years, $150 million at
MLB Trade Rumors.
Early offseason indications are that the projected free contracts have been on the conservative side (although Aaron Nola, who is six months younger than Castillo, came in near projections at seven years, $172 million).
Steamer projects 2024 WAR of 3.4 for Castillo, 3.3 for Snell and 3.2 for Montgomery (and 4.2 for Nola):
https://www.fangraphs.com/projections?p ... pe=steamer
If the Mariners are operating as if they're financially strapped, the M's could offload Castillo's contract (with his consent) for low-cost pre-arb bat. The savings could be flipped in pursuit of a replacement starter because free agent pitchers reportedly find Seattle more attractive than free agent hitters.
Would anyone trade Luis Castillo back to Cincinnati for promising third baseman Noelvi Marte, who headed the package the Mariners sent in the July 2022 trade for Castillo? The Reds could use a top-of-rotation starter.
That would be interesting.