The Boston Red Sox remain focused on bolstering their starting rotation as the 2024-2025 offseason progresses. One prominent name linked to their efforts is Seattle Mariners right-hander and three-time All-Star Luis Castillo.
With a solid career ERA of 3.56 and a proven ability to handle workloads exceeding 160 innings in five of his eight seasons, Castillo seems like an excellent fit for a rotation set to feature dominant left-hander Garrett Crochet as its ace.
However, the big question is what it would take for the Red Sox to acquire Castillo, who will be entering the third year of a five-year, $108 million contract in 2025—and whether the cost would justify the move.
Casas Not Enough on His Own to Land Castillo
The name Triston Casas has frequently surfaced in reports linking the Mariners and Red Sox in trade discussions involving Luis Castillo. Although multiple Red Sox beat reporters have attempted to refute these rumors, claiming Casas was not part of the talks, speculation from the Mariners’ side remains persistent.
A Mariners insider suggests that Seattle wouldn’t just require the 24-year-old left-handed first baseman from Boston in exchange for Castillo—they’d also demand an additional “sweetener.” This likely means Casas, along with one of the Red Sox’s top minor league prospects.
“They want Major League talent, specifically someone who can hit in the middle or top five spots of the order,” said Ryan Divish, Mariners reporter for The Seattle Times, on the Baseball Isn’t Boring podcast. “If the Red Sox were willing to offer Casas for Castillo, the Mariners would probably ask for a sweetener—another player who could contribute at the MLB level. That might get the deal done.”
Given Seattle’s preference for a prospect who can quickly impact the big-league roster, the options seem limited to Boston’s top-tier prospects. However, the Red Sox already traded one of those, catcher Kyle Teel, their 2023 first-round pick, to the White Sox in the deal for Garrett Crochet.
Red Sox No. 22 Prospect Blaze Jordan Part of Castillo Deal?
Former MLB general manager Jim Bowden, who previously led the Cincinnati Reds and Washington Nationals, described a potential trade involving Triston Casas and the Red Sox’s 22nd-ranked prospect, Blaze Jordan, for Luis Castillo as a “win-win for both organizations.”
Blaze Jordan, a corner infielder splitting time between first and third base, isn’t viewed as Major League ready. Although he gained notoriety as an amateur for his impressive power—highlighted by winning the High School Home Run Derby during the 2019 All-Star Game—MLB.com notes that his power has been “less dangerous” at the professional level.
However, some Red Sox analysts argue that including Casas in such a deal, even with an additional “sweetener,” would be an overpay.
“Trading Casas and a sweetener for Luis Castillo would be completely insane. And that’s coming from someone who loves Castillo,” Play Tessie podcast host Nat Gordon posted on X (formerly Twitter). “I feel like I’m losing my mind. How do people not realize how valuable Triston Casas is? Keep him and let him thrive!”
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