Reds and Mariners pull off blockbuster trade that sends Luis Castillo to Seattle

Well, at least Luis Castillo doesn't have to cut his hair. The Cincinnati Reds and Seattle Mariners came to terms on a blockbuster trade late on Friday night that will send La Piedra to the Pacific Northwest.

Castillo will be reunited with his former teammates Jesse Winker and Eugenio Suárez in Seattle as the Mariners make a push for the playoffs. In return, the Reds received four prospects from the M's.

Castillo had been rumored for weeks to be one of the top pitchers available at this year's trade deadline, and the haul that Reds' GM Nick Krall was able to secure verified that.

The Mariners pull off a blockbuster trade with the Reds for Luis Castillo.

While Luis Castillo is headed to Seattle, four top-level prospects are head to Cincinnati. The Reds acquired shortstop Noelvi Marte, shortstop Edwin Arroyo, and right-handed pitcher Levi Stoudt and Andrew Moore.

Marte, Arroyo, and Stoudt are all ranked in the Top 5 of the Mariners' farm system according to MLB Pipeline. Both Marte and Arroyo and considered Top 100 prospects.

While some fans are sure to grumble about the bottleneck at shortstop, take a deep breath. There are some scouts who believe that Noelvi Marte is better suited for third base or even center field. Marte has incredible raw power and it's showed up in the minor leagues this season. Marte has 15 home runs and a slugging percentage of .462.

Arroryo was the Mariners second-round pick in 2021 and is more hit over power. At just 18 years of age, Arroyo will be more of project and is unlikely to even reach the major league for the next sevreala years.

As for Stoudt, the 24-year-old is currently at Double-A and has the makings of a back of the rotation starter. The right-hander could eventually find a home in the bullpen as well; an area the Reds definitely need to improve going forward.

Moore was late-round pick of Seattle last season, but in 17 appearances out of the bullpen for Low-A Modesto, the righty has a 1.95 ERA and 58 punch outs in under 33 innings of work.

This is a fantastic trade for both sides. It's hard to argue with the Cincinnati Reds securing four prospects; two of which are ranked among the Top 100. In exchange, the Seattle Mariners get the best starting pitcher available and a chance to rid themselves of a playoff drought that's been around since 2001.