2 recent MLB trades we wish the NY Mets pulled off, 1 we can still hold out hope for

It would be superb if the Mets win the Luis Castillo bidding

A hot trade candidate right now is Seattle Mariners starter Luis Castillo. A part of the M’s roster they could part with because of how deep their rotation would remain even without him, his high salary and age make him the likeliest one to part with. The Mets would be lucky to have him.

For those same reasons Mets fans have turned their attention to Castillo, so have other ball clubs. He has ace-like abilities without the actual distinction of being an ace on his own team any longer. The development of his younger teammates has made Castillo more of an afterthought despite still being as incredibly talented as he is.

A problem the Mets will run into when it comes to a pursuit of Castillo can be found in the Williams and Springs deals. Seattle wants to compete next year. MLB-level talent is what they would want back from the Mets. Unless the Mariners are particularly high on Luisangel Acuna, Brett Baty, or Ronny Mauricio, it’s difficult to see where there’s an ideal match in comparison to other teams who can offer a better offensive player. Given that all three of those Mets players have one remaining minor league option left, the Mariners should aim to get a lot more back than just a couple of unproven younger players who could be on the DFA bubble as soon as 2026.

Castillo won’t cost nearly as much as Garrett Crochet, whose price tag would have cost the Mets possibly their two best prospects in Brandon Sproat and Jett Williams plus more. Crochet may be rising. Castillo is already there. His contract isn’t bad and his talent has been stable for several years.