Where there's smoke, there's fire, and lately there's been a lot of smoke connecting the Boston Red Sox to Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Luis Castillo.
May 16, 2023; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Luis Castillo (58) pitches during the first inning against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images
Castillo is a three-time All-Star who wouldn't be available on most rosters. However, the Mariners are stacked to the gills with starting pitching and Castillo has the biggest contract by far, which is money Seattle could use to find some much-needed offense.
A frequently posed mock trade to this point has been Castillo for Triston Casas, the Red Sox's slugging first baseman. But both sides have recently poured water on the idea that such a deal is on the table.
Perhaps the Red Sox would rather have one of the Mariners' younger starters, like Bryce Miller or Bryan Woo. But Castillo could still be useful to them, and there's a way they could land him without having to give up Casas.
Here's an earnest trade proposal that could bring Castillo and his three years/$72 million remaining contract to the Red Sox:
Red Sox receive: SP Luis Castillo
Mariners receive: OF Wilyer Abreu, IF Mikey Romero
First things first: If the Mariners aren't getting Casas, they still need a big-league-ready bat of some kind. And they could do a lot worse than Abreu, who put up a 114 OPS+ and won a Gold Glove as a rookie, to play next to Julio Rodríguez for the next five years.
Meanwhile, Romero had a nice power surge in 2024, rebuilding his prospect stock after struggling in his initial minor-league action as a 2022 first-round pick. The Mariners have struggled to find any consistent offensive production from the second base position, and Romero could become the starter of the future.
The Red Sox get their number-two starter to slot in behind Garrett Crochet, and the Mariners get a pair of lefties that could wind up as long-term solutions for them at problem positions. If Seattle continues to struggle finding takers for Castillo, this feels like a reasonable package to settle on.
