The Orioles seem to have their sights set on Luis Castillo, reportedly having conversations with the Seattle Mariners that would bring the star right-hander to town and give them a No. 1 alongside Grayson Rodriguez and Kyle Bradish when he returns from Tommy John surgery.
However, it’s not a given that anything gets done.
Baltimore will have to part with talent if they’re going to pull this off, and considering the Mariners are looking to compete in 2025, they’ll want some impact players in return who can contribute immediately instead of a package of prospects.
“Castillo likely would require a major-league return, and the Orioles are not inclined to move Jackson Holliday, Colton Cowser or Jordan Westburg for a pitcher who is not what he once was and is owed more than $70 million over the next three years. They also envision Heston Kjerstad as part of their outfield mix next season and could view Coby Mayo as the future replacement for first baseman Ryan Mountcastle, who is under club control for only two more seasons,” he writes.
Those are the tough decisions Mike Elias will have to make.
The trio of Jackson Holliday, Colton Cowser and Jordan Westburg aren’t going anywhere.
While Holliday struggled during his first stint in The Show, he was a consensus top prospect in baseball for a reason, so shipping him out of town is not going to happen. Cowser is coming off a runner-up finish in the AL Rookie of the Year voting and Westburg made his first All-Star team last season.
