Why Luis Castillo to Yankees Trade Appears Unlikely

New York is reportedly interested in Luis Castillo, but they would benefit more from a trade for an outfielder or a reliever.

The Yankees have been linked to All-Star starting pitcher Luis Castillo, who is expected to be available ahead of the August 2 trade deadline.

But they are far from the only team that has shown interest in the market’s top starter. The crosstown rival Mets, as well as the Los Angeles Dodgers have checked in with the Cincinnati Reds about Castillo as well. So has just about every contending team in baseball.

Acquiring Castillo would give the Yankees a deadly rotation, particularly in the postseason, given ace Gerrit Cole, Castillo, Luis Severino and one of Jordan Montgomery, Nestor Cortes or Jameson Taillon would make up their top four horses in October. But when examining the reality of the situation, Castillo landing in the Bronx appears to be unlikely.

The Yankees entered play on Sunday leading the American league with a 3.02 ERA. Their starting rotation has been beyond stellar throughout the first 79 games of the season, resulting in a 58-21 record, which is the best mark in the majors.

Luis Castillo. ⛽️

10Ks thru 5.

I think he's passed the audition. pic.twitter.com/Po3FnbKnVC

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) June 29, 2022

The word around the industry is that the Reds will have their pick of the best prospect/packages to choose from in exchange for Castillo, who is the top starter available ahead of the deadline.

Due to the Yankees’ pitching depth, and overall talent on their staff, their prospect assets would be best used to upgrade their outfield and bullpen. The rotation appears to be all set, and if they do decide to land a starter via trade, a lower-tier depth option makes more sense than dishing out their top minor leaguers for Castillo.

The Yankees’ rotation is already the best in baseball, and while Castillo would make the rich even richer, New York’s roster already might be good enough to wear the crown at the end of the postseason. Castillo would increase their World Series title odds, but so would landing a big outfield bat and high-leverage bullpen arm. General manager Brian Cashman will likely focus on the latter. 

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