Chris Crawford takes a look at the Luis Castillo deal between the Cincinnati Reds and Seattle Mariners and discusses what fantasy managers should expect from the ace on his new team.

Video Transcript

CHRIS CRAWFORD: The Mariners made one of the biggest splashes of the deadline last week when they traded four prospects to acquire Luis Castillo from the Reds. It was quite the haul for Cincinnati, with two of the better shortstop prospects in baseball leaving Seattle, but we'll focus on the 2022 impact, which has a chance to be substantial for both the Mariners and fantasy managers. After missing the first month of the season with a shoulder ailment, Castillo has been able to post a 2.86 ERA with 90 strikeouts in 85 innings.

Those numbers aren't indicative of how well he's pitched as of late, however, as he went seven innings in every start in July with a 1.93 ERA and a 30 to 7 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Now he goes from one of the worst teams in baseball and unfriendly confines to a Seattle team that is in great position to make the postseason for the first time since 2001 and a home park that should be beneficial.

He's well above average in stats like expected ERA, strikeout percentage, whiff rate, and several other metrics, and he'll also have a better defense behind him. Seattle paid a hefty price, but Castillo was good enough to justify it.

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