This Yankees-Reds trade package could bring Luis Castillo to New York

Perhaps this Yankees-Reds trade package could seal the deal for Luis Castillo.

We’re going to preface this by saying some New York Yankees fans might not be happy about this. Though the rumors of Cincinnati Reds starter Luis Castillo being discussed is tremendous news for the Bombers and their quest to improve the rotation, it’s going to cost them significantly if they opt to move in on a deal.

The bottom line is Castillo, 28, is an ace and he’s under club control at team-friendly prices through 2023. He’s projected to make $5.8 million in his first year of arbitration eligibility in 2021. Given the insurance the Yankees need in the rotation behind Gerrit Cole, you might not find a better piece out there.

Castillo is better than Trevor Bauer. He’s better than Sonny Gray. Across his first four MLB seasons, he owns a 3.62 ERA and 1.117 WHIP with 578 strikeouts in 90 starts (519.2 innings). Those numbers are a bit inflated thanks to a lackluster 2018 in which the lowly Reds went 67-95 with the 25-year-old right-hander leading the way.

In summation, this will not be cheap for the Yankees, and the fact that they don’t have many other options could force their hand. Nobody on the open market is going to entice them this offseason, especially if Jameson Taillon costs the same price as…well, Luis Castillo. Next year, free agency will be littered with high-priced sluggers and aging arms like Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander.

Some would argue the time to strike is now if Castillo is indeed available. This offers the Yankees their best chance to get a bonafide No. 2 behind Cole, stabilize the rotation and buy time for Luis Severino’s return instead of winging it with Jordan Montgomery, Domingo German, Deivi Garcia and Clarke Schmidt through June or July.

Alright, now for the hard part. What trade package could land the Yankees Castillo, who perfectly fits in with the team’s championship window?

Yup, “a ton” sounds right, which is why we’re proposing Garcia, No. 1 prospect Jasson Dominguez and No. 5 prospect Luis Gil. Two MLB-ready starters and the best prospect in baseball should seal the deal. Many might not want to part with Dominguez, but if the goal is to bring home a title within the next few years, Dominguez’s presence doesn’t matter.

The outfield consists of Aaron Judge, Clint Fraizer and Aaron Hicks for the next two years (and if Judge is re-signed, it’ll be at least four years), so Dominguez is blocked for the time being. If he has to be traded for a young ace, then so be it. That’ll give the Yankees their best chance to win another World Series.

Not comfortable moving Dominguez? Perhaps the Reds take another package consisting of Garcia, Gil, No. 6 prospect Austin Wells, No. 8 prospect Alexander Vizcaino and No. 25 prospect Trevor Hauver. But you have to think a lot of other teams will be in on these talks and driving up the price.

The bottom line is that the Yankees will end up having to pay whatever it takes to land the missing piece for their World Series aspirations. If it ends up having to be Dominguez, then so be it. We’d rather be champions than prospect-huggers at the end of the day, right?

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