Mariners and Luis Castillo It has agreed to a five-year, $108 million extension, according to the company. ESPN’s Jeff PassanThere are six year vesting options totaling $133 million. Daniel Kramer of MLB.com The vesting option will be triggered if Castillo pitches at least 180 innings in 2027, reports. add The Mariners will receive a $5 million option for the 2028 season if Castillo undergoes a UCL repair procedure that causes him to miss more than 130 days between 2025 and 2027. Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal We tell you that Castillo will have full no-trade protection for the first three years. Castillo was slated to become a free agent after the 2023 season, but he’ll stay with the Mariners for at least the next four years.
The club has since announced the deal, which includes statements from baseball operations president Jerry DiPoto and Castillo himself. “Lewis has been one of MLB’s top pitchers for the past six seasons,” DiPoto said. “He is a dynamic power pitcher in the prime of his career with a consistent track record. Bringing him to Seattle represents a key moment in our ongoing efforts to build a championship roster. Likewise, this agreement demonstrates our ongoing commitment to both the present and the future of this team.”
“I feel great,” Castillo said. “Every baseball player wants to achieve a dream like this. think.”
Castillo, 29, began his major league career with the Reds and established himself as a good starting pitcher. From his 2017 debut through 2021, he had 123 starts and a 3.72 ERA. This mark is all the more impressive given the hitter-friendly nature of his Great American Ball and his park, with both Statcast and ESPN ranking him second only to Coors Field in that division. He was able to achieve that level of success by scoring ground balls in 53.9% of his batted balls and striking out his 26.2% of batters faced. Both of these numbers are well above the league average. He also showed good control, walking his 8.8% of hitters that came to bat. This is close to the league average. According to FanGraphs, he had his 14.5 wins as a substitute at the time, which ranks among the top 20 of all pitchers in the league.
The recent offseason got off to an inauspicious start for the Reds as general manager Nick Krall Said The club “must align salaries with resources and continue to focus on scouting and developing young talent from within the system.” Tucker Barnharttraded to the Tigers.Trade rumors soon began swirling around Castillo, along with his rotation mates Sonny Gray When Tyler MurrayGray was due to be dealt to Minnesota in March, but the Reds acquired Mare and Castillo in the season opener. Castillo slowed due to shoulder pain early in camp, but showed no rust when he returned to the mound in May and regained the hill. He had a 2.86 ERA, a 47.1% ground ball percentage, a 25.8% strikeout percentage, and an 8% walk rate.
It’s not surprising that despite Castillo’s contribution, the Reds have performed poorly overall with continued sales. Castillo has once again been the focus of trade rumors, with interest from the Padres, Twins, Mets, Yankees, Blue Jays, Dodgers, Cardinals and Astros.Ultimately, the Mariners won the bid by sending a prospect Noelvi Marte, Edwin Arroyo, Levi Stout When Andrew Moore to Cincinnati. Since his trade, Castillo has had a stellar season, with a 2.83 ERA, 29.1% strikeout, 5.9% walk, and 46% ground ball percentage, and he’s started nine games. It looks like M got exactly what they wanted from Castillo and locked him up for the long haul.
Most recent comparison is probably Jose BerriosBerrios, who was entering his final year before becoming a free agent after being acquired by the Blue Jays last year, agreed to a seven-year, $131 million contract extension. Berrios, who has a terrible year here in 2022, was actually in a pretty similar position to Castillo when he signed that deal. From 2017 to 2021, Berrios posted his 15.2 fWAR. This is the same stretch where Castillo scored his 14.5. Castillo agreed to delay his free agency in exchange for less money, fewer years and a lower average annual value. $18MM, but when he exercises the option it goes up to $22.17MM.
For the Mariners, this is a major investment in their starting pitcher, the second in the past year.they signed Robbie Ray Signed in November for 5 years and $115 million. These two of him will continue to form a core in the rotation for his next four seasons, at least after this season. Logan Gilbertis a club-drafted and developed player with no plans to become a free agent until the end of the 2027 season. George Kirby It’s a year behind Gilbert and should last until the 2028 campaign. M’s core 4 can stick rotation for quite some time.there is also Marco Gonzaleswhose contract runs until 2024, with a club option for 2025. Chris FlexenTriggered the 2023 Besting Option.
The Mariners haven’t made the postseason since 2001, the biggest active playoff drought in the majors. They are well-positioned to record his winning streak here in 2022, and currently hold the final spot in the American League wild card three games ahead of the Orioles.Their rotation looks set for years to come, with a core of position players including Julio Rodriguez, JP Crawford, Eugenio Suarez We must continue to compete.
More coming.