08-27-2021, 06:07 PM
Last offseason there was some talk of the Yankees wanting to deal for Castillo. The Reds asked for a lot (as they should), and the Yankees balked. I believe that the Reds did the right thing in holding firm if the offer was junk, however, the idea of trading Castillo is going to become the 800 pound gorilla in the room when the 2021 season ends.
Luis has some of the best stuff in the league and after a rough start is back to pitching like a number 1 or high level 2. He's still young and will have a couple of years of very reasonable control. Yes, that's great for the Reds if they keep him, but think about it for a minute. What would the Rays do? Like the Reds they operate on a budget and rarely pursue high priced talent from other organizations. They develop assets and trade them for even more assets when they reach potential, rinse and repeat. Their supply of young talent seems endless and they never end up with broken down high-priced arms soaking up big contacts.
In the past, the Reds have been abysmal at developing pitching talent. Looking at Greene, Lodolo, and even Ashcraft, this no longer seems to be the case. Even Guttierez has been much better than expected. As early as next year, they'll have, dare I say, an embarrassment of young, high-end controllable pitchers reaching the majors.
I think you do all you can to find a partner willing to give up a ridiculous haul of talent for Castillo this offseason. This is no longer about dumping a player, it's about adding even more young assets to an already talented core for the next 5 years rather than keeping Luis until he's up for a huge deal, then walks anyway. Well managed teams churn the system and create a self-sustaining talent stream. The Reds finally have the chance to do this.
Luis has some of the best stuff in the league and after a rough start is back to pitching like a number 1 or high level 2. He's still young and will have a couple of years of very reasonable control. Yes, that's great for the Reds if they keep him, but think about it for a minute. What would the Rays do? Like the Reds they operate on a budget and rarely pursue high priced talent from other organizations. They develop assets and trade them for even more assets when they reach potential, rinse and repeat. Their supply of young talent seems endless and they never end up with broken down high-priced arms soaking up big contacts.
In the past, the Reds have been abysmal at developing pitching talent. Looking at Greene, Lodolo, and even Ashcraft, this no longer seems to be the case. Even Guttierez has been much better than expected. As early as next year, they'll have, dare I say, an embarrassment of young, high-end controllable pitchers reaching the majors.
I think you do all you can to find a partner willing to give up a ridiculous haul of talent for Castillo this offseason. This is no longer about dumping a player, it's about adding even more young assets to an already talented core for the next 5 years rather than keeping Luis until he's up for a huge deal, then walks anyway. Well managed teams churn the system and create a self-sustaining talent stream. The Reds finally have the chance to do this.
