By Conrad Clowers
Herald Sports Writer
Every once in a while, the Reds come up with a stud on the mound.
Trades have often been the place where the Reds come up on the short end of the stick. In January of 2017, they were involved with one that would give them an anchor for the next several years.
Luis Castillo has been a mainstay on the mound. Though his record of 43-53 coming into the 2022 season may be nothing to jump up and scream about, his ERA of 3.62 has put him on display as one of the best around.
In baseball, fans have become conditioned not to fall in love with players. Save your $100 dollars and don’t buy that players jersey. Why? Because no sooner do you get the jersey in the bag the player is being traded to another team. This is the likely fate of Castillo.
Castillo just got through showcasing his talents in MLB’s annual All-Star Game. He was the lone Reds player to be named an All-Star in the Summer Classic.
The start of the second half of the season is anything but anti-climatic for many teams such as the Reds. Cincy has lost so many games the playoffs are all but a pipe dream. Management focus turns to which players the team can trade to get help for the future as opposed to who they can get now to make a run for the playoffs this season. Castillo is showcase piece #1 in Cincinnati. Many of the teams in contention look to add to their rotation of starting pitchers in hopes of bringing home a World Series trophy. The Reds could use help just about everywhere. Giving up Castillo could help solidify the future with the right pick, but the team needs to get it right. Just trading the veteran pitcher just to be trading him could backfire on a team that on the surface does not look to have a solid future plan.
If 2022 is it for Castillo, he definitely did his part on the mound. While he has had his share of inconsistencies in Cincinnati ,the 2-time All-Star Dominican has been formidable on the mound in Cincinnati.
Cincinnati does have several young starting pitchers like Hunter Greene and Nick Lodolo whom they plan to feature for years to come. It’s no secret that the more success a player has, the higher the salary demand. With the Reds unable to compete with teams like the Yankees, Red Sox and Dodgers, high profile players like Castillo won’t be in town that long. The trade deadline is less than 2 weeks away. If Castillo is in his last days in Cincinnati, Reds fans should be thankful they got to see one of the leagues best for a few years.
Until there’s a salary cap and parity, this is going to be the way it is. Superstars merely just passing though.
