Another contender is rumored to have entered the Luis Castillo sweepstakes

The list continues to grow. The Cincinnati Reds may have the hottest target among opposing GMs this summer. Luis Castillo has now been linked to yet another American League contender.

Erik Boland of Newsday has added the Houston Astros to list of suitors looking to make a trade for La Piedra. Boland said that rival evaluators are all in agreement that Houston would have the assets necessary to get a deal done.

This is going to be a fascinating trade season. Among the latest Reds rumors, Castillo has been linked to the New York Mets, New York Yankees, Toronto Blue Jays, Los Angeles Dodgers, Minnesota Twins, and San Diego Padres.

Latest Reds rumors add Astros to the list of Luis Castillo's suitors.

Basically every contender wants to get their hands on Luis Castillo. Moreover, every contender wants to keep him away from the other clubs in contention. Adding Castillo to the Houston Astros starting rotation would not be good news for the New York Yankees come playoff time.

Houston has one of the best starting rotations in the game, so adding an arm like Castillo would be a phenomenal get on the part of Astros General Manager James Click. Houston has Justin Verlander and Framber Valdez atop the rotation as well as Luis Garcia.

Adding Luis Castillo to Houston's rotation would give the Astros a solid No. 2 behind Verlander and someone to take over as the team's ace should the nine-time All-Star and two-time Cy Young Award-winner decide to leave the 'Stros during the offseason.

Houston already holds an 11-game lead over their nearest competitor in the AL West. According to Baseball Reference, Dusty Baker's bunch is virtually assured of a spot in the postseason and has nearly a 12% chance to take home the Commissioner's Trophy. That number would certainly go up if Castillo found his way to the Lone Star State.

The latest Reds rumors are only going to up the price tag for Luis Castillo's services. Look for the trade talks to heat up about this time next week.