4 possible trade destinations for Reds starter Luis Castillo

There seems to be a strong possibility that Cincinnati Reds starter Luis Castillo may be traded this offseason.

While the Reds are not actively "shopping" the right-hander, several rumors are circulating suggesting that Cincinnati's front office is listening to offers.

This shouldn't come as a shock after seeing the Reds deal longtime catcher Tucker Barnhart and waive left-handed starter Wade Miley.

While I stop short of describing Cincinnati's offseason as a rebuild, it does appear that the ownership is looking to cut the payroll, and they've effectively eliminated $33.5M off the books for next season.

Barnhart's 2022 salary of $7.5M was shipped to Detroit, Miley's $10M hit will now be on the Cubs' books, and Nick Castellanos opted out of a deal that would have paid him $16M next season.

If the Reds do plan to trade Luis Castillo, this is the time to do it. Castillo has two years of team control remaining and his ERA over the second-half of the 2021 season was a sparkling 2.73.

Castillo is estimated to make $7.6M in 2022 according to MLB Trade Rumors. If the Reds do not see Castillo in their long-term plans, it's time to move on.

While the list of teams interested in Luis Castillo could be endless, let's take a look at the four most likely destinations.

1. The Mariners could trade for Reds starter Luis Castillo.

One of the more surprising teams in the American League last season was the Seattle Mariners. The M's finished with 90 wins on the season and fell just short of making the final Wild Card spot in the AL.

Seattle is a good, young team. Manager Scott Servis guided his squad to unexpected success in 2021, and Mariners fans are hoping for more of the same in 2022.

The Mariners biggest weakness, however, is their starting rotation. Not a single M's pitcher, who started more than 15 games, had an ERA below 3.50.

Justus Sheffield, Marco Gonzales, and Logan Gilbert look to be part of the starting rotation in 2022, but adding an arm like Luis Castillo could put the Mariners into the driver's seat in the AL West.

2. The Yankees could trade for Reds starter Luis Castillo.

Let's just get this one out of the way because you know that fans of the New York Yankees won't let it go. Yes, the Bronx Bombers could definitely be in the mix for Reds starter Luis Castillo.

I, for one, don't see it. But the New York media and fanbase will be drooling with rumors of Castillo possibility being on the trade block.

Last winter it was rumored that the Yanks and Redlegs had discussed a potential deal that would've included Luis Castillo. However, it never really materialized.

Why? Apparently, the Reds front office was set on acquiring shortstop Gleyber Torres, whom the Yankees were unwilling to part with.

After seeing Torres put up a .697 OPS in 2021, I'm sure Nick Krall and the Cincinnati brass are glad those trade talks never gained much traction.

If the Reds and Yankees are to work out a deal for Castillo, New York is going to have to part with some of their top prospects.

The Yankees are not ripe with talent in their farm system, but they do have two prospects (Anthony Volpe and Jasson Dominguez) who rank among the Top 20 in Major League Baseball according to MLB Pipeline.

The New York Yankees are sure to join the ranks of those teams interested in landing Luis Castillo in a trade with the Cincinnati Reds, but I think it's a bit unlikely.

3. The Angels could trade for Reds starter Luis Castillo.

Is this the year that the Los Angeles Angels finally land an ace? For years, the Angels have failed to address their starting pitching. Maybe adding Reds starter Luis Castillo will be the answer.

Mike Trout is one of the best players to ever have graced a major league field, and yet, the slugger is always on the outside looking in when the postseason rolls around.

The three-time MVP has just one postseason appearance in 11 years, and that was all the way back in 2014.

Trout played just three games, hit .083 and has just one hit in the playoffs. Baseball fans have been robbed of the opportunity to see Trout find success in the postseason.

Furthermore, Shohei Ohtani may be the best player in the game today. The two-way star is likely to take home AL MVP honors later this month.

The Angels should be one of the first teams to give the Reds a call and see what it would take to pry Luis Castillo away from Cincinnati.

Like the Yankees, the Angels don't have the deepest farm system, but some of their young major league talent could be intriguing to Nick Krall and the Reds front office.

I would be shocked if the Los Angeles Angels aren't among the teams looking to add Luis Castillo to their 2022 roster.