While the Boston Red Sox have been linked to some of this winter's top free-agent starting pitchers, their biggest acquisition so far has been trading for Chicago White Sox ace Garrett Crochet. Could president of baseball operations Craig Breslow follow that by acquiring Seattle Mariners hurler Luis Castillo in another blockbuster deal?
Castillo is a three-time All-Star and has been remarkably consistent since 2019. He's started 30-plus games four times while posting a 3.47 ERA with a 1.18 WHIP and 1,068 strikeouts in 971 innings pitched during that time. He would be a solid addition to the top of Boston's starting staff.
The Athletic's Jim Bowden would also like to see Castillo land with the Red Sox and proposed the following hypothetical trade:
- Red Sox receive: right-handed pitcher Luis Castillo
- Mariners receive: first baseman Triston Casas and third baseman/first baseman Blaze Jordan
"If the Red Sox don't land free-agent ace Corbin Burnes, which they are trying to do, they could pivot and sign Bregman to play third base, which would necessitate a move of Rafael Devers to first and allow them to trade Casas and a corner infielder such as prospect Blaze Jordan for Castillo to further improve their rotation," Bowden wrote.
Casas would give Seattle a solid and team-controlled slugger to plug in at first base. MLB.com ranks Jordan as Boston's 22nd-best prospect.
As for the Red Sox, they'd get a reasonably priced ace for a short period. Castillo is in the middle of a five-year, $108 million extension. He's set to earn $24.15 million each year between 2025 and 2027. His contract also includes a vesting option for 2028 valued at $25 million.
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