Twins rumored to be more enamored with this Reds player than Luis Castillo

The trade deadline is less than a week away, and so much of the attention has been focused on Cincinnati Reds pitcher Luis Castillo. But his teammate Tyler Mahle is starting to get noticed as well.

According to Dan Hayes of The Athletic (subscription required), the Twins asked about acquiring both Castillo and Mahle from the Reds this offseason. Minnesota ended up settling for Sonny Gray instead.

But the Twins are still said to be interested in both pitchers, and Hayes claims that Minnesota continues to love Mahle more than Castillo. Hayes also mentioned the the Miami Marlins as a possible trade partner.

The latest Reds rumors suggest Twins prefer Tyler Mahle over Luis Castillo.

The question is, do the Minnesota Twins actually prefer Tyler Mahle over Luis Castillo or do they prefer the price tag? Mahle is making about $2M less than Castillo this season, will likely make less than Castillo in 2023, and will not require near the haul in order to land his services.

While Minnesota is not necessarily in same "small market" as the Cincinnati Reds, the Twins are not big-spenders like the New York Mets, Los Angeles Dodgers, and New York Yankees. If the Twins are looking for a short and long-term investment, Tyler Mahle makes much more sense for Minnesota.

The Twins probably don't have what it takes to land Luis Castillo in the first place. The bidding is beginning to heat up and it's going to cost some team at least two of their Top 10 prospects, if not more.

Minnesota does have a handful of young prospects they could pool together in order to make a deal for Mahle. Pitchers Brayan Medina, Matt Canterino, and Simeon Woods Richardson, along with infielders Noah Miller and Spencer Steer could all be part of a package for the Cincinnati Reds 2022 Opening Day starter.

While so many of the Reds rumors have revolved around Luis Castillo, these focus a bit more on Tyler Mahle. Both are likely to be dealt at this year's trade deadline, but neither of the right-hander's will become free agents until after next season.