As the Mets and Yankees look to bolster their rotations this offseason, Trevor Bauer is the top dog on the free agent market, Blake Snell is available via trade, and there are solid second tier free agent options, too (such as Jake Odorizzi and Masahiro Tanaka). But an incredibly intriguing new name just emerged.
The Cincinnati Reds, facing financial constraints, have made 28-year-old right-hander Luis Castillo available, according to Jon Heyman.
After a stellar rookie season in 2017 and down year in 2018, Castillo -- featuring a deadly fastball/changeup/slider combination -- has posted a 3.35 ERA and 1.16 WHIP while striking out 315 batters in 260.2 IP (10.9 per 9 innings) over 2019 and 2020.
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In what will be his first year of arbitration in 2021, Castillo is projected to make a shade over $4 million. He is arbitration-eligible again in 2022 and 2023.
Unlike Bauer (expected to get a long-term deal worth close to $30 million annually) and Snell (on a team-friendly deal but a good deal more expensive than Castillo), Castillo is an ace-level talent who is making a relative pittance.
While both the Mets and Yankees should be on the phone to the Reds to see what it would cost to pry Castillo away, the expectation should be that any package going to Cincinnati will be hard to part with.
Mets president Sandy Alderson has spoken this offseason about his aversion to dealing prospects, but softened that stance last week when talking about weighing free agent options against trade options.
Meanwhile, the Yankees have made re-signing DJ LeMahieu their top priority as they prepare for an offseason of austerity, but also need rotation help. One would have to think that the availability of the remarkably inexpensive (dollar-wise) Castillo would pique their interest.
While it's unclear what type of players the Reds might want back (prospects, big league-ready talent, and/or a combination of both), the expectation should be that the Mets and Yanks would have to deal from the very top of their talent pool.
When it comes to prospects, that could mean names like Matt Allan and Francisco Alvarez from the Mets and guys such as Clarke Schmidt and Deivi Garcia from the Yanks.
And when it comes to established big leaguers, it could mean the Mets letting go of someone like Dom Smith and the Yanks doing the same with Clint Frazier -- again, all depending on the kind of players the Reds want.
Whether or not it's worth it to part with the huge package it will likely take to snag Castillo is debatable, but it can be argued that he is now the most intriguing starting pitching option on the trade or free agent market.