Luis Castillo Traded to Mariners; Reds Get Noelvi Marte, More Prospects

Luis Castillo was traded from the Cincinnati Reds to the Seattle Mariners.

Passan reported the trade.

According to the Athletic's Trent Rosecrans, the M's are trading four prospects, including Noelvi Marte, to the Reds.

Left-handed pitcher Levi Stoudt and right-handed pitcher Andrew Moore are going to Cincinnati.

MLB.com has a list of the top 18 prospects. The 20-year-old entered Friday with a.270 batting average and 15 home runs.

According to MLB.com, he's the third best prospect in the Seattle's organization. Stoudt is one of the top five.

The Reds are continuing to cut their costs.

The Cincinnati went from 15th to 16th in the opening day payroll during the year. The franchise has not been a big spender in recent years, but its recent business shows there will be a financial reset.

Tucker Barnhart was sent to the Detroit Tigers. The Reds didn't assume his $10 million option, so they nixed him. The trades of Sonny Gray and Jesse Winker took place.

Castillo will become a free agent in the year 2024. He will probably earn less than he would on the open market until then, but that didn't make a difference to the Reds.

C. Trent Rosecrans @ctrent

This from Krall: "going into 2022, we must align our payroll to our resources and continue focusing on scouting and developing young talent from within our
system" tells you exactly what ownership is stressing — and it's not winning https://t.co/BKb3KsapYJ

C. Trent Rosecrans @ctrent

#Reds continue to 'align payroll to resources' -- and those resources are obviously dwindling

This was the last chance for general manager Nick Krall to maximize any return in a trade. It is necessary to take pennies on the dollar when dealing with a player on an expired contract.

The implications of Mookie Betts being one year away from free agency made it difficult for the Boston Red Sox to keep him.

Castillo went 8-16 with a 3.98ERA and a 3.75FIP in 33 starts in 2021, production fell off slightly compared to the year before

The right-handed pitcher made 12 appearances in 2020 and finished with a 3-6 record and a 2.65FIP. He had an average of 11 strikeouts and 3.09 walks. He had a 2.5 WAR, which was sixth highest among pitchers.

Castillo missed the first day of the season because of a sore right shoulder, and he was placed on the disabled list for the rest of the year. He went 4-4 with a 2.86ERA and a 3.21FIP in 14 starts after coming back.

Since it can presage a bigger injury, shoulder trouble is a concern. Castillo seems to have avoided serious issues.

It's fair to wonder how much a change of scenery would improve his performance.

The president of the team begged fans to stop rooting for the team. Cincinnati lost a game in which it had a combined no-hitter.

Finding the motivation to play at a high level is difficult as the defeats pile up.

The acquisition of Castillo is a worthwhile risk for the team. He has possessed one of the best pitches in the business. His changeup was expected to have a.243 expected wOBA in 2021, despite some early struggles.

Castillo may have flown under the radar because of the Reds' lack of recent success. Since his move to Seattle will bring more attention and scrutiny, that will not be the case anymore.

Taking the Houston Astros for first place in the American League West is probably a bridge too far, but the SeattleMariners look like they have a good chance of making the playoffs. It is a major achievement for the team to qualify for the playoffs.

This season shouldn't be Seattle's only chance to make the playoffs, as more and more young players are working their way up the ladder. This is the result of Jerry Dipoto's rebuild.

Acquiring Castillo doesn't single-handedly make theMariners the World Series favorites, but it definitely improves their chances of making a deep run in the playoffs.

Unless otherwise stated, the stat is courtesy of Fan Graphs.