Cincinnati Reds: 3 potential landing spots for Luis Castillo
By David Hill
The Cincinnati Reds have not displayed any inclination to trade Luis Castillo at the deadline this year. Yet.
That could change. As it is, Frankie Montas is considered the biggest name likely to be traded at the deadline. As he is currently on the Injured List, teams may be looking for other options. The Reds phone line could be ringing until August 2 with offers for Castillo.
Three possible landing spots for Cincinnati Reds pitcher Luis Castillo
It is possible that the Reds will get an offer they cannot refuse. While they may not want to say it, they are clearly rebuilding. Although Castillo is under team control through next year, it is difficult to envision that the Reds will spend the type of money needed to sign him to a long term deal. A trade may be more likely than they want to admit.
Plenty of teams are going to be interested in Luis Castillo if the Cincinnati Reds make him available. Let’s look at three possible landing spots.
San Diego Padres
The Padres almost had Luis Castillo before. He was part of the deal that would have sent Colin Rea to the Marlins only for that trade to be reversed when it was discovered that Rea was damaged goods.
Now, six years later, the Padres may finally land their long-coveted arm. They have been looking to add depth to their rotation especially as there is not much left in the upper minors due to trades. Castillo would clearly be more than a depth piece and would potentially allow them to deal one of their other arms, as has been rumored, in an attempt to free up money against the luxury tax for other additions.
Even with those previous trades and promotions to the majors, the Padres do have several top prospects. They had indicated a willingness to attach one of them to either Eric Hosmer or Wil Myers to facilitate a trade and could be willing to move those pieces to land that needed pitcher. Castillo would certainly be worth those pieces.
The Padres have coveted Luis Castillo for years. They will likely be one of the top pursuers should the Cincinnati Reds make him available.