According to a new report from Adam Jude of the Seattle Times, the Seattle Mariners won’t be trading for back-to-back Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal this offseason, and they won’t be dealing away Luis Castillo, either.

Per Jude:

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What’s more, the Mariners remain confident in their starting rotation and are expected to bring back their five established starters — Bryan Woo, Logan Gilbert, Luis Castillo, George Kirby, Bryce Miller — intact for 2026.

ESPN’s Buster Olney wrote in early November that the Mariners were expected to aggressively pursue Skubal on the trade market.

He’s got just one year left on his rookie contract and is not close to an extension with the Tigers. Rather than lose him for nothing at the end of 2026, the Tigers could look to trade him, and given that the Mariners don’t like to spend big on free agents, acquiring a (relatively) affordable ace made sense.

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We talked more about this with Olney on the Refuse to Lose podcast, and you can find episodes here.

Now 32, Castillo turns 33 in just a few days. A three-time All-Star, he made 32 starts in 2025, going 11-8 with a 3.54 ERA. He has two years and nearly $50 million remaining on his contract.

The motivation in trading Castillo would be to shed salary, but given that the M’s likely wouldn’t find a taker for his full freight, it makes sense to just hang onto him.

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Furthermore, while the Mariners have solid pitching in the Double-A or lower levels (Kade Anderson, Jurrangelo Cijntje, Ryan Sloan), they don’t have much depth in the upper minors. If the Mariners traded Castillo, ate some money, and then signed a filler, that would kind of defeat the purpose of clearing some money.

Furthermore, do the M’s feel comfortable turning the fifth starter spot over to Logan Evans or Emerson Hancock? And what happens if someone gets injured?

There’s too many variables that likely make trading Castillo too risky, which is why it makes sense to hold onto him.

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With the Mariners’ rotation effectively set, the team is turning its attention to the bullpen. They reportedly are looking for two bullpen arms, and feel good about landing at least one by the time the winter meetings end.

Furthermore, they are working on a reunion with Jorge Polanco, though they have some real competition on that front.

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