NY Mets starting pitcher trade options if they miss on Trevor Bauer

Luis Castillo

Jon Heyman of MLB Network reported that Luis Castillo is available in a trade this offseason. With that being said, I don’t think it’s particularly likely that Castillo is dealt as he is a young frontline starter with team control. But, the Mets should definitely look and see if they can make a deal work.

In the last two seasons, Castillo has gone 19-14 with a 3.35 ERA in 260.2 innings of work. He was an all-star in 2019 and was pitching at the same pace in this shortened 2020 season. The 28-year-old will be a free agent after the 2023 season.

I believe Castillo has ace stuff. He struck out 226 batters in his 190.2 innings pitched in 2019, a 10.7 K/9. This season, that number went even higher as he struck out 89 batters in 70 innings pitched, an 11.4 K/9. In Jacob deGrom’s Cy Young years, he struck out 11.2 and 11.3 batters per nine, so it’s safe to say Castillo has the stuff to be an ace.

While the 3.35 ERA may not jump off the page as an elite starter, that is a very respectable number. Also, the ballpark he plays in needs to be considered. Great American Ballpark is known as one of the more hitter-friendly ballparks in all of baseball. Castillo allowed just 1.0 HR/9 in 2019 and 0.6 HR/9 in 2020, outstanding numbers especially when looking at the ballpark he pitches in.

Castillo is armed with a fastball which averaged 97.8 mph, a very good slider, and his best pitch is his changeup which is one of the better ones in the game. The big weakness Castillo has is his walk rate. He walked 3.7/9 in 2019, and 3.1/9 in 2020. That’s too many walks. Everything else from Castillo is outstanding, and he would be a great number two starter behind Jacob deGrom. Out of everyone on this list, Castillo is the one I would want the most.