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The Mariners are signing starting pitcher Luis Castillo to a five-year, $108 million contract, ESPN’s Jeff Passan reports. The deal includes a vesting option that could make the full contract six years, $133 million.
Seattle acquired Castillo from the Reds at the trade deadline in a blockbuster deal, giving up Noelvi Marte, Edwin Arroyo, Andrew Moore and Levi Stoudt. Marte and Arroyo are both on MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 prospects list and are ranked second and third in the Cincinnati farm system.
Since the deal, Castillo has instantly become the Mariners ace. In nine starts for Seattle, Castillo is 3-2 with a 2.83 ERA in 54 innings. He, Logan Gilbert and Robbie Ray are now under contract at the top of the Mariners rotation through at least 2026.
This year, the Mariners should break the longest postseason drought among the four major sports, last making the playoffs in 2001. Therefore, the team is trying to build off of their talented core to make sure they contend in the AL West beyond just this year.
