Castillo trade rumors all water under the bridge

PEORIA, Ariz. -- As the trade rumors surrounding him began intensifying at the Winter Meetings, Luis Castillo was so far off the grid that he didn’t hear about them immediately.

The Mariners’ stalwart starting pitcher swaps his in-season routine for a meticulous regimen in the offseason, which involves fishing virtually every day on his 40-foot boat -- fittingly named “La Piedra,” Castillo's nickname -- in his hometown of Baní in the Dominican Republic. And he often has to venture miles beyond the shore to reel in his favorite, red snapper, losing cell reception in the process.

“You’ve got to get way out there to get the good stuff,” said Mariners pitching coach Pete Woodworth, who for the second straight offseason visited Castillo to see him in his home environment.

In an otherwise quiet Mariners offseason, the rumors surrounding Castillo were objectively the most intriguing -- even though no trade materialized.

Seattle wasn’t exactly shopping the workhorse. But as blue-chip free-agent starters began netting contracts exceeding $200 million, leaving other clubs seeking more affordable options, the Mariners fielded a higher volume of calls on Castillo at the Winter Meetings in early December. According to sources, talks with the Red Sox and Cubs -- both of whom possessed impact infielders that the Mariners were seeking -- had the most traction.

Mariners president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto and general manager Justin Hollander kept Castillo apprised that such talks were taking place via Castillo’s agent, Rafa Nieves of Republik Sports. But they never reached negotiations where asking Castillo to waive the no-trade clause that he carries through the end of 2025 was on the table. That clause expires after this season, after which Castillo will have two years and $48 million remaining, with a $25 million vesting option for ‘28.

"I didn't have really a big reaction,” Castillo said through an interpreter. “I mean, still left in my contract is that no-trade clause. But if the team would have come to me in some negotiation, who knows what happens? It’s not the first time that my name has been linked to something like this.”

The Yankees -- who were believed to finish runner-up to the Mariners in the bidding to acquire Castillo from the Reds at the 2022 Trade Deadline -- never called, according to a source, which makes sense given that they signed Max Fried for eight years and $218 million. Castillo joked that he probably wouldn’t have complied with their appearance policy that wouldn’t allow him to keep his dreadlocks.

“If I had the option where I’d have to cut my hair, it’s less likely,” Castillo said, laughing.

So instead, Castillo arrived in Arizona with the same three goals he carries every year intact with his incumbent club -- to start on Opening Day, make the American League All-Star team and win the Cy Young Award.

“It's good because you get to spend, maybe not many years, but a certain amount of time with one team and kind of create that one family,” Castillo said. “It’s happened. I've been here three years. I've created that family. So having the [no-trade clause] to kind of control my future, it helps a lot.”

Although Castillo wasn’t as dominant as in 2022-23, he was still among MLB’s most consistent starters.

Castillo logged a 3.64 ERA (101 ERA+, where league average is 100) with a 1.17 WHIP, a 24.3% strikeout rate and a 6.5% walk rate over 175 1/3 innings. His season was cut short by three starts due to a Grade 2 left hamstring strain that landed him on the injured list -- though he began throwing bullpen sessions in the season’s final days and was prepared to return had the Mariners reached the postseason.

Woodworth’s visit -- which was accompanied by manager Dan Wilson and bench coach Manny Acta -- was one month after the Mariners were eliminated, before trade buzz intensified. It was another effort to show Castillo how valued he is in Seattle.

“It's just spending time, and especially like seeing ‘Louie’ in Louie's element, seeing him on the boat fishing, seeing him with his family and just that close-knit group that he has down there, it’s special,” Woodworth said. “You get to feel like you’re part of the family for two, three days. It's incredible food -- the fish they’d catch, his wife and his mom cook, and I gained 10 pounds in a weekend going down there. But yeah, we had a blast.”

The word “family” echoed much in recent days, among the Mariners’ most experienced starter and those speaking about him -- and it’s clear that Castillo still feels much like a part of it despite speculation that he might wind up elsewhere.