“This trade could bring a former prospect back to the San Francisco Giants.”
After the San Francisco Giants missed out on signing ace pitcher Corbin Burnes, who joined the Arizona Diamondbacks, their options have narrowed considerably. One possibility could be pursuing a trade with the Seattle Mariners to make amends for a past misstep.
Flashback to 2014: fresh off their third World Series title in five years, the Giants faced the loss of fan-favorite third baseman Pablo Sandoval, who signed with the Boston Red Sox in free agency. Looking to fill the void, the team traded two pitching prospects, Luis Castillo and Kendry Flores, to acquire third baseman Casey McGehee.
The move proved to be a major miscalculation.
Proposed SF Giants trade would reunite team with Luis Castillo
Casey McGehee’s tenure with the Giants in 2015 was short-lived, as he was designated for assignment twice that season. In 49 games, he posted a disappointing .213/.275/.299 slash line with just two home runs and 11 RBIs. His struggles opened the door for fan-favorite Matt Duffy, who proved to be a much more effective replacement at third base.
Adding to the sting of McGehee’s struggles, the trade that sent pitching prospect Luis Castillo to the Marlins in exchange for McGehee turned out to be disastrous for the Giants. Castillo blossomed into an All-Star pitcher with the Cincinnati Reds, putting up a 3.40 ERA in 32 starts during his 2019 All-Star campaign.
Grant Brisbee of The Athletic even called the trade one of the worst in Giants history. Castillo went on to earn another All-Star nod in 2022, splitting the season between the Reds and Mariners, with a 2.99 ERA in 25 starts. Last season, he remained a reliable arm for Seattle, finishing with a 3.64 ERA over 30 starts and 175 1/3 innings.
Now, the Giants have an opportunity to redeem themselves. Reports suggest that the Mariners are open to trading Castillo, and Nick Deeds of MLB Trade Rumors lists San Francisco as a potential landing spot, given their need for starting pitching.
The Mariners are reportedly seeking infield help, which could make first baseman LaMonte Wade Jr. a viable trade piece. However, a deal for Castillo would likely require more than just Wade—perhaps a mid-level prospect as well, though the irony of history repeating itself would not go unnoticed.
Castillo’s salary for the upcoming season is $24,150,000, a significant figure that might give the Giants’ cautious ownership pause. Nevertheless, adding him to the rotation could provide a much-needed boost. The Giants already acquired Robbie Ray from the Mariners in the past, so a deal involving Castillo wouldn’t be entirely unprecedented.
However, Castillo does have a no-trade clause in his contract, meaning he could veto the deal if he holds any lingering resentment toward the Giants for trading him a decade ago.
If the Giants can bring Castillo back, it might symbolize an attempt to undo the so-called curse that followed his departure, which some blame for the team’s playoff drought—making the postseason just twice since 2014.
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