Jul 8, 2022; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Luis Castillo (58) throws a pitch against the Tampa Bay Rays during the first inning at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: David Kohl-USA TODAY Sports
The New York Yankees have been a rumored trade destination for Luis Castillo but another American League team could be in play.
The starting pitching market coming into the MLB Trade Deadline is going to be fascinating with some big names potentially on the move. Among those, the biggest name that could be dealt is Cincinnati Reds young ace Luis Castillo.
Stuck on one of the worst teams in baseball, the 29-year-old from the Dominican Republic figures to be a hot commodity on the trade market. And with that being the case, it’s of no surprise to any baseball fan that the New York Yankees have been connected to him this year.
While the Yankees have never been alone in a potential pursuit of Castillo, another heavy hitter in the American League has emerged as a club that could make a big move for the righty with a nasty changeup: the Houston Astros.
Luis Castillo trade rumors: Astros could push Yankees to make deadline deal
According to Yankees beat writer Erik Boland of Newsday, the Astros are among the teams who will be in on the Luis Castillo sweepstakes. More importantly, though, people around the league believe that Houston has the assets that could truly sway the Reds into making a deal.
Houston has a ton of talent and has gotten strong performances from many pieces in their starting rotation. They can have confidence in the likes of Framber Valdez, Justin Verlander (when healthy), and even Luis Garcia. However, there have been concerns about other starters such as Jake Odorizzi. That’s a spot that Castillo would immediately upgrade.
As mentioned by Boland, though, the Astros and Yankees are far from the only teams who will be trying to make a play for Castillo at the trade deadline. With that said, seeing two of these big-time AL contenders in play should make things fascinating to watch regarding the righty.