2:40 PM ET
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Jeff PassanESPN
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ESPN MLB insider
Writer of “The Arm: Contained in the Billion-Greenback Thriller of the Most Priceless Commodity in Sports activities”
Proper-hander Luis Castillo and the Seattle Mariners are in settlement on a five-year contract extension that may maintain the prized trade-deadline acquisition a part of the ascendant staff’s core for the foreseeable future, the staff introduced on Saturday.
The deal is value $108 million over the period of the deal, sources informed ESPN.
The contract, which features a vesting possibility that might take its complete worth to $133 million, buys out 4 years of free company for the 29-year-old, who has been dominant in eight begins since becoming a member of Seattle earlier than the Aug. 2 commerce deadline. In 54 innings, Castillo has struck out 64, walked 13 and allowed simply 5 dwelling runs with a 2.83 ERA — even higher than the two.86 ERA he posted in 14 begins with the Cincinnati Reds and a key factor in serving to push the Mariners to the precipice of their first playoff berth in 21 years.
A two-time All-Star, Castillo shall be paid on an annual foundation among the many higher echelon of pitchers. The deal features a $7 million signing bonus, a $10 million wage for subsequent season — when he was because of make round $12 million in his remaining arbitration season earlier than reaching free company — and annual salaries of $22.75 million from 2024 to ’27.
The contract additionally features a variation on the sixth-year possibility. If Castillo undergoes elbow surgical procedure, together with Tommy John surgical procedure, to deal with a difficulty with the ulnar collateral ligament in his proper elbow within the 2025, 2026 or 2027 seasons that causes him to overlook a minimum of 130 days, the Mariners obtain a membership possibility for $5 million in 2028.
His 2028 possibility for $25 million vests if he throws a minimum of 180 innings in 2027, and Castillo will obtain a full no-trade clause for the 2023 to ’25 seasons with a $1 million task bonus if he is moved after that.
The Castillo deal continues a watershed yr of spending for the Mariners, who within the winter signed American League Cy Younger winner Robbie Ray to a five-year, $115 million free agent deal and star rookie Julio Rodriguez to a deal that ensures him a minimum of $209.3 million — and nearly actually shall be value extra, relying on his efficiency and its impact on potential choices.
Since Castillo’s first begin for Seattle on Aug. 3, the Mariners have the third-best starter ERA within the main leagues at 3.04 and second finest within the AL behind division rival Houston. Amongst Castillo, Ray, 25-year-old Logan Gilbert and 24-year-old George Kirby, the Mariners’ plethora of starters — backed by an equally glorious bullpen, which over that very same time interval has the fourth-best ERA within the huge leagues at 2.63 — makes them a probably scary playoff staff.
Castillo is anticipated to start out Sport 1 of a possible playoff collection. At 81-67, the Mariners occupy the third and remaining wild-card spot within the AL and maintain a four-game lead on the next-closest staff, Baltimore. If that holds, Seattle would play a best-of-three wild- card collection in Cleveland, presently in first place within the AL Central.
Seattle sought an influence arm on the deadline and paid a hefty value for Castillo, giving Cincinnati its two prime prospects in shortstops Noelvi Marte and Edwin Arroyo together with starter Levi Stoudt and reliever Andrew Moore.
Castillo had been traded 4 earlier instances earlier than touchdown in Cincinnati, the place his explosive two-seam fastball and strong slider and changeup led him to the entrance of the Reds’ rotation. Over six seasons with Cincinnati, Castillo went 47-54 with a 3.62 ERA and practically a 3-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
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