The San Francisco Giants missed out on Corbin Burnes but could have their sights set on another powerful pitcher to fortify their rotation.
San Francisco saw one of its top hurlers depart this winter when Blake Snell pulled up stakes and moved to the rival Los Angeles Dodgers.
Compounding the loss was that the Giants were reportedly one of the finalists to sign Corbin Burnes, but saw him instead ink a deal with another division competitor, the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Not that San Fran’s rotation is in dire straits, with Logan Webb, Robbie Ray, and Jordan Hicks currently slotted into the top three spots, but the team could use a quality replacement for Snell — and Fansided’s Eric Treuden has a fit in Seattle Mariners starter Luis Castillo.
According to the report, the Giants are among the considered favorites to deal for the one-time Mariners’ staff ace this winter.
Seattle remains reticent to deal away any of their “Big Four” young starting pitchers in Logan Gilbert, George Kirby, Bryce Miller, and Bryan Woo. But they are reportedly willing to deal Castillo, who is in the midst of a five-year, $108 million contract.
Castillo, the one-time ace of the Cincinnati Reds, has been a rock in the Mariners rotation since 2022. The eight-year big-league veteran has a lifetime record of just 73-76, but has a career ERA of 3.56 with 1,331 total strikeouts.
He is also remarkably durable, averaging over 26 starts per season since making his big-league debut in 2017.
Signed through 2027 with a 2028 vesting option, Castillo is set to make between $24 and $25 million a season — not bad value given today’s market.
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