Reds news: GM Nick Krall squashes Luis Castillo trade rumors

Cincinnati Reds General Manager Nick Krall has put the kibosh on the Luis Castillo trade rumors. In recent days, some unsubstantiated rumors of a potential deal between Cincinnati and the New York Yankees surfaced with Castillo’s name in the mix. Thankfully, it appears as though La Piedra will be in Reds uniform next season.

It’s been no secret that the Reds have been looking to cut payroll. To be fair, the majority of teams throughout Major League Baseball have been looking to do the same. The pandemic-shortened 2020 season and lack of gate revenue have clubs looking to cut spending in 2021. The potential for fans to return to the stands next season may allow the owners to breathe a small sigh of relief.

Reds GM claims Luis Castillo trade rumors are “false”.

Krall, who was promoted to be Cincinnati’s head of baseball operations this past fall, spoke with Mark Sheldon of MLB.com in regards to the Luis Castillo trade rumors. According to Krall, the rumors are false and fans should expect Castillo to be part of the Reds rotation in 2021.

This is welcome news to a fanbase that has been caught off guard by the team’s purging of contracts this offseason. Cincinnati has already traded Raisel Iglesias and non-tendered Curt Casali and Archie Bradley. Sonny Gray, Mike Moustakas, and Eugenio Suárez have also heard their names mentioned as possible trade candidates this winter as well.

With news of Luis Castillo’s impending trade to the Yankees all but washed away, perhaps it’s time for Reds Country to get excited about the 2021 season. If there was ever an opportunity for Cincinnati’s front office to begin a rebuild, it would have started with dealing away their most valuable asset.

Castillo, likely to be the Reds Opening Day starter, will join Gray, Tyler Mahle, Wade Miley, and most likely Michael Lorenzen in the Cincinnati starting rotation. With Lucas Sims and Amir Garrett anchoring the backend of the bullpen, the Cincinnati Reds pitching staff has the potential to not fall off the map despite not re-signing Cy Young winner Trevor Bauer.

Cincinnati’s rotation should once again be the team’s biggest strength, and if players with big contracts (Moustakas, Suárez, Nick Castellanos, and Joey Votto) play up to their abilities, there’s a good chance that the Reds could make a run at the NL Central crown next season.

With the Luis Castillo trade rumors put to bed, Nick Krall and the front office can focus on retooling the bullpen and addressing the vacancy at shortstop. All three top free agents at that position (Didi Gregorius, Marcus Semien, and Andrelton Simmons) remain unsigned.