Mariners' next move could be to trade $24.15 million star

Mariners' next move could be to trade $24.15 million star originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Seattle Mariners were so close to the World Series.

They made it to Game 7 of the ALCS, and they held a late lead, before the Toronto Blue Jays broke their heart.

That has set up what is a big offseason.

Seattle already struck early, bringing Josh Naylor back on a five-year contract.

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The Mariners still have free agents Jorge Polanco and Eugenio Suarez lingering on the market if they have any interest in bringing them back.

Beyond that, there's a real case to be made that Seattle should pretty much just run it back.

But if the Mariners want to make another move, they've got a logical trade candidate: Luis Castillo.

MLB.com's Mark Feinsand made the case for trading Castillo in a new article.

"Let’s start by saying Castillo is unlikely to be traded, but if the Mariners look to make a big move, he will surely draw interest around the league," Feinsand writes. "He’s turning 33 next month, his $24.15 million salary is the highest on the roster, his no-trade clause recently expired, and with two years left on his deal (plus a vesting option for 2028), he could be a desirable asset to pitching-needy clubs that don’t want to make a long-term commitment. Castillo has posted an ERA of 3.64 or less in every season since 2019 and remains one of the most consistent starters out there."

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Feinsand says it right from the start that this isn't the most likely. The premise of his article had him naming a player from every team, and the Mariners are less likely to make a trade this offseason than some other teams.

But it would be intriguing to see what Seattle could get for Castillo. If the  Mariners could get a slightly younger piece to continue to build a formidable roster for years to come, there'd definitely be some appeal to that.

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