The Chicago Cubs’ shopping list at the trade deadline looks fairly uniform: pitching, pitching, and more pitching.
Before the season, the Cubs’ lineup already looked to be ahead of the pitching staff. But with injuries to Shota Imanaga and Justin Steele, the latter of which was season-ending, the Cubs will be one of the foremost teams looking for high-end talent at the Jul. 31 deadline.
Unfortunately, this year’s crop of sellers doesn’t look to have much starting pitching to give up. That’s why one baseball writer believes Chicago could take a leap by attempting a trade for a pitcher whose team currently sits in first place.
On Thursday, Zach Pressnell of FanSided named Seattle Mariners starter Luis Castillo, a three-time All-Star, as a potential Cubs trade target this summer.
“Luis Castillo of the Seattle Mariners would be a great addition for the Cubs. He doesn’t come with the risk that (Sandy) Alcántara (has) coming off arm surgery, although the Mariners righty is a bit more expensive to pay each season,” Pressnell wrote.
“The Cubs would be bringing Castillo back to the NL Central after he played a chunk of his career with the rival Cincinnati Reds. Adding the former Red would bolster Chicago’s rotation quite a bit this season.”
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On the season, the 32-year-old Castillo has a 3.32 ERA in 11 starts. While much of the Mariners’ vaunted rotation has gone on the injured list, he’s been the stabilizing presence that’s kept them atop the division.
Castillo signed a five-year, $108 million contract before the 2023 season, and dumping the rest of that money would be Seattle’s only real motivation for trading him at this point. He’s owed $24.2 million every year from 2025-2027, with a $25 million vesting option for 2028 if he throws 180-plus innings in 2027.
Still, now that the Mariners have reasons to be concerned about George Kirby and Logan Gilbert staying healthy, it does feel like a bit of a pipe dream for the Cubs to somehow pry Castillo loose.
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