Yankees: 3 Luis Castillo trade packages that don’t include Gleyber Torres

It’s been a crazy 48 hours. The buzz surrounding a New York Yankees-Cincinnati Reds trading involving Luis Castillo has picked up so much steam that the Reds’ general manager had to come out and deny everything.

A few other things we learned? The Yankees aren’t close to a deal for Castillo. The Reds might be keen on keeping the right-hander because he’s their best asset. And during the supposed Yankees-Reds talks, Cincy reportedly asked for Gleyber Torres in exchange for the right-hander. Intriguing, right?

Fans are divided on whether or not they’d do this, but there’s no need to be divided, because the Yankees aren’t going to do it! And that’s all that matters. General manager Brian Cashman is smart enough to know that acquiring a player of Castillo’s caliber to bolster the starting rotation doesn’t mean you go ahead and immediately downgrade at arguably the most important position on the field.

But just because the Yankees allegedly rejected the advances on Torres doesn’t mean the discussions should end there. New York has one of the best farm systems in all of baseball and can very much help the Reds in a multitude of other ways.

Here are three Gleyber Torres-less trade packages for Luis Castillo that should still entice Cincinnati.

3. Gio Urshela, Deivi Garcia, Yoendrys Gomez, Kevin Alcantara and Josh Breaux for Luis Castillo and Eugenio Suarez

We don’t advise this package, but the Yankees and Reds could make it happen.

This is number three for a reason. We don’t necessarily want this to happen, but past reports have suggested the Reds would want to unload one of their bigger long-term contracts with Castillo to shed some salary. OK, so toss in Eugenio Suarez.

Fans aren’t going to like this, but that means Gio Urshela is gone. I know, we don’t want it either, but this isn’t out of the question from Cashman’s perspective. He got Urshela for nothing, so parting ways with him for a No. 2 starter and another All-Star third baseman that costs more money-wise isn’t really a loss. If this is what it takes, then so be it.

But then come the prospects. No. 3 Deivi Garcia, No. 5 Luis Gil and No. 13 Kevin Alcantara will likely have to go. Garcia and Gil give the Reds high upside in the pitching department while Alcantara, a promising 18-year-old outfielder, gives them another potential building block assuming he continues on the expected trajectory.

Here’s the deal: the Reds don’t need a guy like Gleyber Torres, who they’ll have to pay in three years. Their window, if they’re making everyone available, doesn’t align with his prime. Their best bet is prospects, and the Yankees can offer potential cornerstones.

1. Jasson Dominguez and Luis Medina for Luis Castillo

OK Reds, you’ve got it your way. Take it and run from the Yankees.

One could argue the previous package is more valuable, but this one may have more upside. Jasson Dominguez is the Yankees’ No. 1 overall prospect, and if you’ve seen any practice videos of this guy, you’d understand why. As for Luis Medina, he might only be the Yankees’ No. 11 prospect, but he’s climbing the ranks quickly.

Dominguez’s power already feels unmatched and he’s only 17 years old. He’s a switch hitter. He’s the No. 33 prospect in all of baseball according to Baseball America. He’s a player any team would love to build around in the coming years. But he probably won’t hit the bigs until 2023 (at least), so that’s why the Yankees can afford to part with him, especially when you realize Aaron Judge and Aaron Hicks aren’t going anywhere.

As for Medina, he was recently named the Pitcher of the Year in the Puerto Rican Winter League. He gave up just one run across 16.2 innings and struck out 32 batters. Pretty damn good for missing all of 2020 due to the global pandemic, right? He’s not slated to hit MLB until 2022, so he’ll continue refining his skills until he’s ready. He’s coming into his own after struggling to kick off his big league career. That performance in the Puerto Rican league followed a 1.77 ERA, 0.96 WHIP, 2.96 BB/9, and 12.42 K/9 in his final eight starts (45.2 innings) between Charleston and Tampa in 2019.

If you’re the Reds and you want to maximize your outlook for the future, this could be the best move to make. You’ll be exchanging three years of Castillo for what will eventually be six years for both Dominguez and Medina. Unload some of your other guys at the 2021 trade deadline to further bolster the farm system, and you’re looking at a bright future.

We’re not going to say we know best, but we do know something.

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