Even White Sox GM Chris Getz Admits That Luis Castillo Has Been a Problem

Everyone knew the Chicago White Sox planned to add starting pitching at the trade deadline. While that news may have shocked some a few months earlier, they were suddenly living at the top of the AL Central and in the thick of a mesmerizing resurgence. GM Chris Getz was ready to buy and push this franchise into the playoffs for the first time since 2021.

At the same time, Getz also made clear that he didn't want to risk too much of his future. What got the White Sox to where they are today is their impressive farm system and commitment to staying the course. Making a splashy trade for a rental wouldn't align with that philosophy, which is why they settled on something very different.

Getz decided to take a swing on former All-Star arm Luis Castillo. The Mariners were essentially begging to get off his lofty contract amid a major down year. The White Sox clearly had a belief that they could help the 33-year-old tap back into his dominant ways. After all, he was only a year removed from throwing a solid 3.54 ERA in 32 starts. A change of scenery is sometimes all it takes!

... or not.

Chris Getz Addresses Luis Castillo Problem

Sep 3, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Luis Castillo (58) pitches against the Houston Astros in the first inning at Daikin Park. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

At the moment, the White Sox are the clear losers of the Luis Castillo deal. He's mustered just a 7.76 ERA in his seven games – six of which were starts. Even in his most recent outing with an opener, Castillo managed to give up 3 earned runs and walk three batters in just 2.2 innings.

The four-seamer velocity has dipped, and the swing-and-miss stuff just hasn't been there aside from one 10-strikeout day. There doesn't seem to be an easy fix for the once-great starter, especially with only a couple of weeks to go before the playoffs begin.

Luis Castillo: 2.2 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 2 K, 0 HR, 33 of 61 pitches for strikes, with 20% called strikes/whiffs.

His average four-seamer velocity was 92.6 mph, which is a big dip from his season average.
— James Fegan (@JRFegan) September 13, 2026

Even Chris Getz can no longer ignore how ugly things have become. And that says a lot. The White Sox' general manager spoke with reporters on Monday, and he was rather blunt about where things stand with Castillo in the rotation:

"It's trended in the wrong direction ... It has been surprising. So what's happened has happened and we've got to find ways to improve it," Getz told ESPN's Jesse Rogers and others.

Deeming it "surprising" isn't going to sit well with some White Sox fans. Castillo was struggling immensely this season with the Mariners and didn't appear to be on any other radars in a serious way. He has a 5.06 ERA in 20 outings with Seattle, and he gave up a combined 12 earned runs in his three starts before the trade.

The White Sox knew they were taking a big risk, and they are now finding out the hard way that it hasn't paid off. This is the time of year when your deadline pick-up is supposed to help most, and Castillo is essentially a liability any time he's on the mound. To make matters worse, he's owed $24.2 million next season! *shivers*

Have we seen vets break out of this kind of slump before? Absolutely. Perhaps the White Sox can work with him this offseason to steer things back in the right direction. But again, time is running out to right the ship in 2026.

The mere fact that Getz even has to address this speaks to how bad things have become, and the White Sox may need to accept defeat on this trade if they want to lock in the AL Central's top spot. Starting Castillo again may be too big of a risk in this close of a race.

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