Reds Get Big Haul In Luis Castillo Deal

While the proposed Juan Soto trades have taken the vast majority of attention, Luis Castillo was one of the best pitchers to be available at the deadline in recent years. And as would be expected the Reds received a hefty price in prospects to trade him. Seattle sent a pair of Top 100 Prospects, three members of its Top 10 and a fourth prospect from their Top 30 in a deal that gives Seattle a front-of-the-rotation starter while helping to reshape the Reds’ farm system.

SEATTLE MARINERS ACQUIRE
Luis Castillo, RHP

Age: 29

The Mariners paid a hefty price in prospects, but in return, they do receive the best starting pitcher who is likely to be traded at the deadline. Castillo has been a well above-average starting pitcher since he made his debut as a rookie in 2017. The Mariners get him for this year and next year before he reaches free agency. Castillo has long had a devastating fastball/changeup pairing, with a 96-98 mph fastball and a plus change, but his slider has steadily improved to give him a third pitch for hitters to worry about. Castillo’s durability is also impressive. He’s avoided missing significant time since he joined the Reds’ rotation.

Castillo sharpened his command and is controlling contact better than he had previously. At age 29 Castillo still has his peak stuff, with two fastball variations in his four-seam and sinker, both of which sit 95-97 mph touching the upper-90s. His slider and changeup both generate whiffs and groundballs, giving Castillo a trio of weapons to generate outs in a variety of ways. In 2022 Castillo has seen a sharp increase in whiffs against his four-seam as his whiff rate against the pitch has jumped from 13.2% in 2021 to 18.6% in 2022. The righthander provides the Mariners with a potential ace at the front of their rotation as they make a push for the playoffs over the final two months. 

CINCINNATI REDS RECEIVE

Noelvi Marte, SS

Age: 20

The Mariners’ No. 1 prospect and No. 47 on the Baseball America Top 100 Prospect rankings, Marte has long wowed with exceptional top-end exit velocities. And he’s shown a reasonable ability to pick out which pitches to drive and which to lay off. He’s been traded just at the time he’s gotten on a roll. He hit .384/.455/.709 this month with seven home runs, 10 walks and 14 strikeouts. Marte has thickened up as he’s aged, and in a Reds’ system filled with shortstop prospects, he’s likely to move to third base before too long. Marte and Arroyo are very different…