The New York Mets have made a significant investment in their starting rotation. They brought in Clay Holmes and Frankie Montas and re-signed Sean Manaea on multi-year deals. They wanted to do more and were linked to high-profile free agents like Corbin Burnes or Walker Buehler.
The Mets, additionally, remain in contention for Japanese star pitcher and 2023 World Baseball Classic champion Roki Sasaki, even though they appear to be losing ground in the race for his services.
Lately, some media outlets and people in the industry considered them candidates to trade for Seattle Mariners right-hander Luis Castillo. However, SNY senior reporter Andy Martino sees that as an unlikely transaction at this point.
The Mets, per Martino, “feel pretty good about where they are in the rotation.” He notes that Castillo is indeed available via trade but says the Mets have yet to explore that possibility and would be content with what they have.
Castillo remains a very talented pitcher but has several things working against him. First and foremost, the Mariners are placing a lot of value on him, which is their right as they want to protect their assets.
Castillo would help the Mets but it’s too expensive
The righty, however, has probably seen his best years, and the Mets, if they decide to add another piece, will probably prioritize someone on an ascending curve, like Sasaki.
Then, there is the matter of Castillo’s age and salary. He is already 32 and will make a little over $24 million on each of the next three seasons with a vacation option for 2028. That’s a steep price for a declining asset, as Castillo’s 3.64 ERA proves. His 3.91 FIP in 2024 was his highest since 2018.
There is no question that Castillo would help the Mets staff and make it better and deeper. Just because they have money doesn’t mean they will get their hands into every bad contract situation in baseball, though.