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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb-rumors-carlos-santana-spurned-mariners-guardians-decision');   ga('set', 'title', 'MLB rumors: Carlos Santana spurned Mariners before Guardians decision');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/MLB-rumors-Carlos-Santana-spurned-Mariners-before-Guardians-decision.jpg"></figure><h1>MLB rumors: Carlos Santana spurned Mariners before Guardians decision</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-23T12:53:41-08:00">December 23rd, 12:53pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-23T13:15:52-08:00">December 23rd, 1:15pm</time><address><a>Dan Fappiano</a>Dan Fappiano is a Connecticut based sports journalist and a graduate of both Tunxis Community College and Central Connecticut State University. Dan has spent time covering high school and professional sports in both the print and online medium. He hopes to see his beloved Chicago Bears win a Super Bowl someday.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cleveland Guardians</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>After <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/diamondbacks-news-acquires-josh-naylor-trade-guardians">trading away Josh Naylor</a>, the Cleveland Guardians replenished their first base power <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/guardians-news-reunite-with-carlos-santana-after-josh-naylor-trade">by signing veteran Carlos Santana</a>. However, there is a universe where Santana signed with the Seattle Mariners.</p><p>The Mariners offered Santana a one-year deal with a player option, something the Guardians did not. Furthermore, Santana <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6014575/2024/12/23/carlos-santana-guardians-house-sale/" rel="noopener">said that his initial priority</a> was joining Seattle. But once Cleveland agreed to their Naylor trade and a spot for Santana opened up, he couldn’t resist, via Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.</p><p>While the first baseman got a $12 million deal from the Guardians, the fact the Mariners offered an option is telling. Going on 40-years-old, it wasn’t likely Santana earned a multi-year opportunity. He’d have to earn it of course, but his deal could’ve become of the two-year variety in Seattle.</p><p>Regardless, Santana spent the first eight years of his MLB career in Cleveland. After a brief one-year hiatus in 2018, Santana returned to the Guardians in 2019, where he won he earned his first and still only All-Star nomination. In the twilight of his career, Santana wanted to go home.</p><p>Which makes for a great story in Cleveland, and a troubling situation in Seattle. For as talented as Santana is, it’s not like he was the top free-agent option at first base. However, the Mariners will now be hard-pressed to find an option as good as Santana at the same price point.</p><p>If the team doesn’t make a significant addition at the position, Luke Raley is <a href="https://www.fangraphs.com/roster-resource/depth-charts/mariners" rel="noopener">poised to open the season</a> as the starter. In his first season with the Mariners, Raley hit .243 with a career-high 22 home runs and 58 RBI, to go alongside 11 stolen base. Seattle will be looking for more consistency, but they won’t complain about the production.</p><p>Still, this is a Mariners team that finished 21 in the league with 676 runs scored in 2024. They were hoping Santana’s bat would provide some extra thump. But after he went to the Guardians, they’ll be searching for another option to bolster their lineup.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

MLB rumors: Carlos Santana spurned Mariners before Guardians decision

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb-rumors-josh-naylor-trade-talks-guardians-mariners');   ga('set', 'title', 'MLB rumors: Josh Naylor ‘mentioned’ in trade talks between Guardians, Mariners');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/12-19-24-naylor-featured.jpeg"></figure><h1>MLB rumors: Josh Naylor ‘mentioned’ in trade talks between Guardians, Mariners</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-19T11:36:39-08:00">December 19th, 11:36am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-19T11:36:39-08:00">December 19th, 11:36am</time><address><a>David Korn</a>David Korn is an MLB associate editor at ClutchPoints. He is also a producer at MLB Network Radio and covers college basketball for A10Talk. David graduated from George Washington in 2023, where he was the radio play-by-play broadcaster for their Men's and Women's Basketball teams.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cleveland Guardians</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Seattle Mariners have been one of the most frequently mentioned teams in trade rumors this offseason. With arguably the best and deepest starting rotation and the high price of starting pitchers in free agency, it makes sense that <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb-rumors-red-sox-mariners-pitcher-garrett-crochet-trade">teams have been calling about the Mariners’ arms</a>.</p><p>The Cleveland Guardians are the <a href="https://x.com/jonmorosi/status/1869803180340691091" rel="noopener">latest team</a> to check in with the Mariners about a potential trade, and are offering up one of their best players according to MLB Network insider Jon Morosi.</p><p>“Josh Naylor has been mentioned in trade talks between the Guardians and Mariners,” Morosi wrote. “He’s one of multiple names under consideration by the Mariners for an offensive upgrade at 1B.”</p><p>The Mariners desperately need to improve their offense, and first base is an especially glaring hole in their lineup. Naylor is one of the best offensive first baseman in all of baseball, and would immediately slot into the middle of the Mariners lineup.</p><p>Last season, Naylor had a .456 slugging percentage, hit 31 home runs and drove in 108 runs while being named an All-Star for the first time in his career.</p><h2><b>Who would the Cleveland Guardians want from the Seattle Mariners for Josh Naylor?</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/12-19-24-naylor-image.jpeg"><figcaption>© David Dermer-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>All of the Mariners’ top-five starting pitchers, Logan Gilbert, George Kirby, Bryan Woo, Bryce Miller and Luis Castillo, would hypothetically be appealing to the Guardians in a potential deal involving Naylor.</p><p>However, given the Guardians’ tendency to cut costs and operate on a smaller budget, it is <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb-rumors-why-mariners-hesitant-luis-castillo-trade">most likely that Castillo</a> and the final three years of his five-year, $108 million contract would be too expensive.</p><p>Gilbert and Kirby would also likely require more than just Naylor to get a deal done, making Woo or Miller the Guardians’ likely targets in a potential trade involving Naylor.</p><p>The 24-year-old Woo, who had a 2.89 ERA in 2024, and the 26-year-old Miller, who had a 2.94 ERA in 2024, would likely slot into the top of the Guardians’ rotation ahead of Shane Bieber, who the Guardians’ just re-signed, and Tanner Bibee.</p><p>It is unclear whether or not the Guardians would need to add anything else to a deal to acquire one of the Mariners’ starters.</p><p>If the Mariners choose to improve their offense through trades instead of free agency, Naylor would be just about as strong of an options as they could get. Boston Red Sox first baseman Triston Casas has also been mentioned as a possible trade candidate, but Naylor is the much more established option.</p><p>The Mariners could also choose to keep all of their starting pitchers and instead sign one of the top free agent first basemen, like Christian Walker or Pete Alonso.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

MLB rumors: Josh Naylor ‘mentioned’ in trade talks between Guardians, Mariners

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb-rumors-the-dark-horse-threat-to-dodgers-padres-for-roki-sasaki');   ga('set', 'title', 'MLB rumors: The ‘dark horse’ threat to Dodgers, Padres for Roki Sasaki');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/The-dark-horse-threat-to-Dodgers-Padres-for-Roki-Sasaki.jpg"></figure><h1>MLB rumors: The ‘dark horse’ threat to Dodgers, Padres for Roki Sasaki</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-19T08:24:31-08:00">December 19th, 8:24am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-19T08:24:31-08:00">December 19th, 8:24am</time><address><a>Christopher Hennessy</a>Christopher Hennessy graduated with a journalism degree from Fordham University in 2022. He has also worked at Spectrum News One in Albany, New York and with The Hockey Writers as a New York Islanders writer. Chris is originally from Connecticut and is a lifelong New York Yankees, Islanders, and Jets fan.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The MLB hot stove is firing, with Juan Soto, Blake Snell, Garett Crochet, and Cody Bellinger all changing teams. But one big name who has not picked a free-agency home is Roki Sasaki. The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb-rumors-dodgers-highly-interested-japanese-star-roki-sasaki">Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres will contend </a>for the Japanese pitcher. But Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com says that the Mariners<a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/roki-sasaki-free-agent-favorites?t=mlb-pipeline-coverage" rel="noopener"> could be in on</a> Sasaki as a dark-horse team.</p><p>“They definitely fit the smaller market bill and have a team poised to compete for the American League West crown, with the addition of Sasaki likely to make them clear favorites,” Mayo wrote. “The Mariners have done impressive work with their arms and would love to see Sasaki join young hurlers Logan Gilbert, George Kirby and Bryce Miller in what is already perhaps the deepest rotation in baseball.”</p><p>Sasaki cannot sign a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/dodgers-news-yoshinobu-yamamoto-contract-opt-outs">massive contract like Yoshinobu Yamamoto did last year</a> because of his age. He is only eligible for international bonus pool money, which levels the playing field. That is where the Mariners can shine, offering him the smaller media market he desires.</p><p>The big-market teams may want to get involved so they can get Sasaki in for his prime and sign him to an extension later on. But the Mariners have a great rotation now and could be playoff-bound by adding Sasaki.</p><h2><b>The Mariners can kickstart a great offseason with Roki Sasaki addition</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Roki-Sasaki-with-Team-Japan-1.jpg"><figcaption>Sam Navarro-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Last season, the Mariners blew a ten-game lead in the AL West before the All-Star Break. They then failed to secure a Wild Card spot, losing out to the red-hot Detroit Tigers. Their offense was what let them down, with the second-lowest team batting average in baseball. They have not signed anyone in free agency yet but could make a trade for a big offensive piece.</p><p>Luis Castillo has already been thrown around in trade rumors. With Gilbert, Kirby, Woo, and Miller, the Mariners would still have one of the best rotations in baseball without Castillo. But add Sasaki and they would have six high-quality starters. The Phillies could be making a change in their infield, specifically with Alec Bohm. Swapping Castillo for Bohm would help both teams.</p><p>The Mariners missed out on Cody Bellinger, but the Cubs could deal Nico Hoerner this offseason. The second baseman would not only add a solid bat to the lineup but help them defensively. While the Cubs do have solid pitching, you can never have enough and Castillo would fit well.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

MLB rumors: The ‘dark horse’ threat to Dodgers, Padres for Roki Sasaki

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb-rumors-why-mariners-hesitant-luis-castillo-trade');   ga('set', 'title', 'MLB rumors: Why the Mariners are hesitant about Luis Castillo trade');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Why-the-Mariners-are-hesitant-about-Luis-Castillo-trade.jpg"></figure><h1>MLB rumors: Why the Mariners are hesitant about Luis Castillo trade</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-14T21:45:28-08:00">December 14th, 9:45pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-14T21:53:23-08:00">December 14th, 9:53pm</time><address><a>Mike Gianakos</a>Mike Gianakos is the former editor-in-chief of High Times magazine, where he also spearheaded the video department and event production. He is a longtime podcaster and even longer suffering NY Jets fan.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Boston Red Sox</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Seattle Mariners blew a sizable division lead last season as the team was ultimately overtaken by the AL West-winning Houston Astros. Despite <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/grading-mariners-rays-blockbuster-randy-arozarena-trade">buying at the trade deadline</a> Seattle missed the playoffs for the 22nd time in the last 23 years. Still, the Mariners boasted one of the best rotations in the majors. Now the team must decide if it’s willing to move one of those starters in an effort to improve a putrid offense.</p><p>A <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb-rumors-luis-castillo-gets-message-mariners-amid-intensifying-trade-rumors">trade market has developed for Luis Castillo</a> this offseason as a number of teams have shown interest in acquiring the veteran pitcher. While the Mariners are intrigued by a potential trade, the organization is <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5994597/2024/12/14/mariners-luis-castillo-trade-mlb-offseason-notes/?redirected=1" rel="noopener">hesitant</a> to give up the eighth-year righty, according to Ken Rosenthal on The Athletic.</p><p>The “hesitancy in trading Castillo stems in part from their gap between their top five starters and their next wave,” Rosenthal writes. “Their depth figures to improve in time… But at the moment, a trade of Castillo might leave them perilously thin.”</p><p>It’s hard to imagine the Mariners struggling with their rotation, even with a Castillo trade. Logan Gilbert established himself as an ace, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mariners-news-logan-gilbert-all-star-revelation-parents-unbelievably-heartwarming">earning his first All-Star Game nod in 2024</a> while George Kirby produced another excellent season. Behind them, Bryce Miller and Bryan Woo both made massive second-year leaps. And while former sixth overall draft pick Emerson Hancock failed to break out in 2024, bouncing between the majors to the minors, he’s still expected to be a big part of Seattle’s future.</p><h2><b>Will the Mariners hold onto veteran starter Luis Castillo?</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Luis-Castillo-1.jpg"><figcaption>Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Castillo is easily the oldest of that group at 32. He’s also by far the highest paid pitcher on the Mariners’ staff. In fact, Castillo is the second-highest paid player on the team. After Seattle landed the pitcher in a midseason trade with the Cincinnati Reds in 2022, the Mariners <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mariners-lock-up-trade-deadline-acquisition-luis-castillo-on-5-year-108-million-extension">signed him to a five-year, $108 million contract</a>. His current deal takes him through the 2027 season.</p><p>That contract also included a no-trade clause, which means that Castillo will have to sign off on any potential deal Seattle puts together.</p><p>Despite landing Garrett Crochet in a trade with the Chicago White Sox the Boston Red Sox are still looking to add starting pitching. And <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb-rumors-red-sox-mariners-pitcher-garrett-crochet-trade">Boston has shown interest in Castillo</a>. Of course, the Red Sox are not alone as the Chicago Cubs, Baltimore Orioles and New York Mets have all inquired about the Mariners’ veteran.</p><p>If the Mariners decide to trade Castillo, they’ll have an opportunity to improve one of the weakest offenses in baseball. Trading the three-time All-Star would not only add prospects to the mix but also free up cash that <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb-rumors-mariners-to-make-strong-push-for-free-agent-if-luis-castillo-trade-happens">Seattle could use to sign a free agent</a>. The Mariners have their eye on first baseman Christian Walker. With Castillo off the books, they could have the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb-rumors-how-red-sox-help-mariners-christian-walker-free-agency">space to sign the former Diamondback</a>. Whether that’s the best move for the team, given Walker’s age and the market for his services, remains to be seen.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

MLB rumors: Why the Mariners are hesitant about Luis Castillo trade

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb-rumors-mariners-to-make-strong-push-for-free-agent-if-luis-castillo-trade-happens');   ga('set', 'title', 'MLB rumors: Mariners to make ‘strong push’ for free agent if Luis Castillo trade happens');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/MLB-rumors-Mariners-to-make-strong-push-for-free-agent-if-Luis-Castillo-trade-happens.jpg"></figure><h1>MLB rumors: Mariners to make ‘strong push’ for free agent if Luis Castillo trade happens</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-14T19:21:17-08:00">December 14th, 7:21pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-15T05:58:31-08:00">December 15th, 5:58am</time><address><a>Brayden Haena</a>Brayden Haena is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints. A die-hard San Francisco Giants fan and a football fanatic, Brayden further channels his baseball enthusiasm through his podcast, where he delves into the latest in sports with engaging commentary. He also serves as the Defensive Coordinator for Heritage High School. His commitment to sports journalism is evident in his diverse experiences with ContraCosta.news and his dedication to delivering compelling and insightful content.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb-rumors-luis-castillo-gets-message-mariners-amid-intensifying-trade-rumors">Seattle Mariners are at the center of offseason trade discussions</a> as interest grows around their ace, Luis Castillo. According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, the Mets, Cubs, Red Sox, and Orioles have inquired about the availability of the 32-year-old right-hander, whose value has soared following <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/yankees-news-max-fried-ny-agree-8-year-218-million-deal-free-agency">Max Fried’s massive $218 million deal with the Yankees.</a></p><p>While the Mariners have entertained offers, their stance on Castillo remains firm. “We’ll do it, but only if the return makes the team better,” a source Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. This high bar is no surprise, given Castillo’s pedigree. Since debuting in 2017, Castillo has posted a <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5994597/2024/12/14/mariners-luis-castillo-trade-mlb-offseason-notes/" rel="noopener">3.56 ERA with a 1.18 WHIP</a> and averaged nearly ten strikeouts per nine innings. He’s also been a model of durability, ranking among the top 15 in starts over the past four seasons.</p><p>If Castillo were to be dealt, the Mariners are reportedly <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb-rumors-how-red-sox-help-mariners-christian-walker-free-agency">eyeing free-agent first baseman Christian Walker</a> as a replacement piece for their lineup. “Some reports have indicated that if the Mariners move Castillo, they will make a strong push for Christian Walker,” Rosenthal wrote. Walker, known for his power and steady defense, would fill a significant need for Seattle’s offense. However, with Walker turning 34 next season, the Mariners may hesitate to commit long-term money to a player nearing the back end of his career.</p><h2><b>The Mariners are looking to move Luis Castillo this offseason</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Christian-Walker_2c4ee8.jpg"><figcaption>Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Castillo’s relatively affordable contract—$68.25 million over the next three years—makes him an appealing target in a pitching market where prices are skyrocketing. However, his full no-trade clause complicates matters, allowing Castillo to choose his next destination effectively.</p><p>The Mariners’ hesitancy to move Castillo stems from their current rotation depth. The team lacks immediate-ready talent behind their top starters, including Logan Gilbert and George Kirby. Promising prospects like Emerson Hancock and Logan Evans are still developing, making a Castillo trade potentially risky.</p><p>The Cubs emerged as a potential trade partner earlier in the offseason, with rumors of a deal involving second baseman Nico Hoerner. However, the Cubs have since cleared a path for top prospect Matt Shaw, making it less likely that Hoerner will be part of any trade package.</p><p>The Mariners’ approach highlights their balancing act between strengthening their offense and maintaining a strong rotation. While Castillo could bring a haul of valuable assets, Seattle risks weakening its pitching depth, especially with no guarantees of landing Walker or another comparable bat.</p><p>As the market continues to evolve, the Mariners must weigh their options carefully. Castillo’s value is undeniable, but any trade must align with their broader vision for sustained success in a competitive AL West. For now, all eyes remain on whether Seattle will make the bold move of parting ways with their ace.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

MLB rumors: Mariners to make ‘strong push’ for free agent if Luis Castillo trade happens

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb-rumors-how-red-sox-help-mariners-christian-walker-free-agency');   ga('set', 'title', 'MLB rumors: How Red Sox can help Mariners land Christian Walker in free agency');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/MLB-rumors-How-Red-Sox-can-help-Mariners-land-Christian-Walker-in-free-agency.jpg"></figure><h1>MLB rumors: How Red Sox can help Mariners land Christian Walker in free agency</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-14T07:58:27-08:00">December 14th, 7:58am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-14T07:58:27-08:00">December 14th, 7:58am</time><address><a>Owen Crisafulli</a>Owen Crisafulli is a Senior Editor and NFL Lead at ClutchPoints. He recently received his Masters in Business Administration from Nichols College. Previously, he obtained his Bachelor's degree in Sport Management and for a while ran his own sports website. Sports are his passion, and he thoroughly enjoys writing about thoughts and opinions that are related to the game. He has been a lifelong fan of the major professional teams in Boston and loves discussing all topics surrounding those teams.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Boston Red Sox</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The MLB rumor mill is running quite hot right now, and one player teams are keeping an eye on in free agency is <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb-rumors-yankees-competition-christian-walker-free-agency-pursuit">star first baseman Christian Walker</a>. With several big names already off the board, teams are beginning to pivot to Walker, and it sounds like he is the Seattle Mariners top free agent target. The problem is that he’s currently out of their price range, which is why a potential blockbuster trade with the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/red-sox-news-garrett-crochets-post-trade-workload-admission-get-red-sox-fans-hyped">Boston Red Sox</a> could be in the works.</p><p>Even though the Sox just traded for Garrett Crochet, they need pitching this offseason, and the Mariners have a ton of top-line starters at their disposal that they could be comfortable moving off of. Recent rumors have popped up suggesting that Boston could <a href="https://x.com/pgammo/status/1867579515607679316?s=46" rel="noopener">pursue a trade</a> for Luis Castillo, as that would help Seattle free up the money needed to make a serious run for Walker.</p><p>“The hitter the Mariners would love to get is Christian Walker, which for now is out of their price range. As another GM suggested this morning, ‘Craig Breslow is tireless, he’s really smart, and if he can clear Castillo’s money, give Seattle help elsewhere and allow them to get Walker, maybe he gets Castillo,'” Peter Gammons reported on X, formerly Twitter.</p><h2><b>Should Mariners trade Luis Castillo to Red Sox, pursue Christian Walker?</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Diamondbacks-first-baseman-Christian-Walker.jpg"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: Owen Ziliak-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The Red Sox and Mariners have been discussing a trade involving a starting pitcher for awhile now, but to this point nothing has materialized. Boston was reportedly offering Triston Casas, who is a first baseman, to Seattle, but it didn’t move the needle. That may be because of the Mariners desire to land Walker, and if they need to unload some salary, that could open the door for the Sox to add Castillo.</p><p>Of course, the Mariners aren’t just going to give Castillo, who is still an ace-caliber pitcher, to the Red Sox for free, and trading him just to have a shot at landing Walker would be a big risk. Boston is remaining relentless in their pursuit of a pitcher from Seattle, though, and maybe this angle will help them be able to pull off their second blockbuster trade for a starter this offseason.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

MLB rumors: How Red Sox can help Mariners land Christian Walker in free agency

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb-rumors-luis-castillo-gets-message-mariners-amid-intensifying-trade-rumors');   ga('set', 'title', 'MLB rumors: Luis Castillo gets message from Mariners amid intensifying trade rumors');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Luis-Castillo-gets-message-from-Mariners-amid-intensifying-trade-rumors.jpg"></figure><h1>MLB rumors: Luis Castillo gets message from Mariners amid intensifying trade rumors</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-13T11:48:43-08:00">December 13th, 11:48am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-13T11:48:43-08:00">December 13th, 11:48am</time><address><a>Brayden Haena</a>Brayden Haena is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints. A die-hard San Francisco Giants fan and a football fanatic, Brayden further channels his baseball enthusiasm through his podcast, where he delves into the latest in sports with engaging commentary. He also serves as the Defensive Coordinator for Heritage High School. His commitment to sports journalism is evident in his diverse experiences with ContraCosta.news and his dedication to delivering compelling and insightful content.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb-rumors-red-sox-mariners-pitcher-garrett-crochet-trade">Seattle Mariners ace Luis Castillo’s name has been making waves</a> at the Winter Meetings, with reports suggesting that the Mariners are receiving an increased volume of trade inquiries for the All-Star right-hander. While the Mariners maintain that they are not actively shopping Castillo, they are <a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/mariners-listening-on-trade-offers-for-luis-castillo" rel="noopener">not dismissing calls either.</a></p><p>“They’re not hanging up,” a source familiar with the situation told MLB.com.</p><p>Castillo, affectionately known as “La Piedra,” has a no-trade clause through next season and would need to approve any deal. According to a source, the Mariners have been transparent with Castillo about the rising interest, which has intensified following <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/yankees-news-max-fried-ny-agree-8-year-218-million-deal-free-agency">Max Fried’s $218 million deal with the Yankees</a> and Garrett Crochet’s trade to the Red Sox for a haul of prospects.</p><p>The Mariners are in a delicate position. They don’t necessarily want to trade Castillo, but with a limited offseason budget of $15-$20 million, according to sources, and clear needs for offensive upgrades, the front office is doing its due diligence.</p><p>“Once the free-agent market starts to dry up or disappear, then teams are usually a little bit different in their behaviors,” Mariners president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto said earlier this week.</p><h2><b>Mariners could move Luis Castillo this winter as rumors continue to swirl</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Luis-Castillo.jpg"><figcaption>Jeff Le-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Among Castillo’s peers in Seattle’s rotation—Logan Gilbert, George Kirby, Bryce Miller, and Bryan Woo—he is the oldest at 32 and carries the highest salary, with three years and $73 million remaining on his deal. While these factors could limit his trade value compared to younger, more controllable pitchers, the escalating cost of starting pitching has made Castillo’s contract look more team-friendly.</p><p>Luis Severino recently signed a two-year, $67 million deal with the A’s, and Nathan Eovaldi secured a three-year, $75 million contract with the Rangers. Castillo, arguably a better pitcher, could be seen as a more appealing option given the value he brings relative to those deals.</p><p>Teams in need of starting pitching are lining up, with the Cubs, Phillies, Orioles, and Yankees reportedly expressing interest. The Red Sox, even after acquiring Crochet, have also been in contact with the Mariners. A previous inquiry from Boston centered around first baseman Triston Casas but hit a roadblock when the Mariners requested Miller or Woo in return.</p><p>The Mariners may also hold off on any moves until the market for Corbin Burnes and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb-rumors-mariners-set-to-include-ichiro-suzuki-as-part-of-roki-sasaki-recruiting-pitch">Japanese phenom Roki Sasaki becomes clearer.</a> Sasaki, who was posted this week, is expected to command significant interest, potentially delaying decisions from pitching-needy teams until January.</p><p>While Castillo’s name remains in trade rumors, Dipoto and the Mariners’ front office are navigating a tightrope between addressing immediate needs and maintaining their competitive rotation. For now, Castillo remains a Mariner, and whether Castillo stays or goes will likely hinge on how desperate teams become as the offseason progresses.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

MLB rumors: Luis Castillo gets message from Mariners amid intensifying trade rumors

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb-rumors-red-sox-mariners-pitcher-garrett-crochet-trade');   ga('set', 'title', 'MLB rumors: Red Sox pushing for Mariners pitcher after Garrett Crochet trade');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/12-11-24-mariners-featured.jpeg"></figure><h1>MLB rumors: Red Sox pushing for Mariners pitcher after Garrett Crochet trade</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-11T20:03:10-08:00">December 11th, 8:03pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-11T20:03:10-08:00">December 11th, 8:03pm</time><address><a>David Korn</a>David Korn is an MLB associate editor at ClutchPoints. He is also a producer at MLB Network Radio and covers college basketball for A10Talk. David graduated from George Washington in 2023, where he was the radio play-by-play broadcaster for their Men's and Women's Basketball teams.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Boston Red Sox</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Boston Red Sox added arguably the best available starting pitcher this offseason when they <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/red-sox-news-boston-finalizing-blockbuster-garrett-crochet-trade-white-sox">struck a blockbuster deal with the Chicago White Sox for Garrett Crochet</a>. But, it appears that the Red Sox are not done trying to add to their starting rotation.</p><p>The Seattle Mariners could be a potential <a href="https://x.com/jonmorosi/status/1866970941223473275" rel="noopener">trade partner</a> for the Red Sox according to MLB Network insider Jon Morosi.</p><p>“The Red Sox, even after the Crochet trade, are working to acquire one of the Mariners’ starting pitchers, sources say,” Morosi wrote.</p><p>The Mariners, who desperately need to upgrade their offense, have arguably the best and deepest starting rotation in the league. Logan Gilbert, George Kirby, Bryan Woo, Bryce Miller and Luis Castillo. Because of their starting pitching depth and clear need for offensive production, rumors have been swirling all offseason about whether or not the Mariners will end up moving any of their pitching.</p><p>If they do decide to trade any of their starting pitchers, the Red Sox, who Morosi just linked to the Mariners, would be a great fit. With one of the deepest position player prospect groups in baseball even after the Crochet trade, the Red Sox can afford to move some of their Major League talent.</p><p>With players like Triston Casas and Wilyer Abreu who the Red Sox could view as expendable, a deal centered around either of those two players should be enough to get the Mariners’ attention.</p><h2><b>Which starting pitcher are the Seattle Mariners most likely to trade?</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/12-11-24-castillo-image.jpeg"><figcaption>© D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>With five top-end starters, the question for the Mariners is who they should trade.</p><p>Castillo would make the most sense for them to move this offseason for a bat. At 31, Castillo is the oldest and most expensive of the Mariners starters, and if moved, could give the Mariners more flexibility to spend in free agency.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mariners-news-seattle-gm-luis-castillo-injury-timeline">In 30 starts last season, Castillo</a> had an 11-12 record with a 3.64 ERA through 175 1/3 innings.</p><p>While the Mariners would likely not be able to get Casas in a deal centered around Castillo, a player like Abreu, or some of the Red Sox’s mid-level prospects could be attainable.</p><p>For the Red Sox, Castillo would slot in as the team’s No. 2 starter behind the newly-acquired Crochet. A rotation of Crochet, Castillo, Tanner Houck, Brayan Bello and Lucas Giolito would be a significant improvement over the Red Sox’s 2024 rotation and be one of the absolute best in baseball.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

MLB rumors: Red Sox pushing for Mariners pitcher after Garrett Crochet trade

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb-rumors-mariners-set-to-include-ichiro-suzuki-as-part-of-roki-sasaki-recruiting-pitch');   ga('set', 'title', 'MLB rumors: Mariners set to include Ichiro Suzuki as part of Roki Sasaki recruiting pitch');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Mariners-set-to-include-Ichiro-Suzuki-as-part-of-Roki-Sasaki-recruiting-pitch.jpg"></figure><h1>MLB rumors: Mariners set to include Ichiro Suzuki as part of Roki Sasaki recruiting pitch</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-11T08:46:09-08:00">December 11th, 8:46am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-11T08:46:09-08:00">December 11th, 8:46am</time><address><a href="https://letterboxd.com/splooshpuhrty/films/by/your-rating/">Jedd Pagaduan</a>Jedd Pagaduan is a certified Clippers and Gunners fan, which means he's a very sports-traumatized individual. He now writes about sports instead as a form of therapy.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Roki Sasaki is one of the most sought-after free-agent pitchers of this year’s offseason; from the moment that his posting was announced, many teams have expressed their desire to sign the 23-year-old right-handed starting pitcher — with the Seattle Mariners being among the talented Japanese international’s <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb-rumors-when-roki-sasaki-sign-after-posting">most prominent suitors.</a></p><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/roki-sasaki-agent-eye-opening-comment-frustrate-dodgers-yankees">Mariners may not be the team</a> with the biggest financial capability on the free-agent market, and they may not be the biggest team that Sasaki could join in terms of the marketing opportunities that will be afforded him as well as the spotlight that would be cast on him. But the Mariners franchise has something going for them that other teams do not — the influence of the legendary Ichiro Suzuki.</p><p>According to Adam Jude of the Seattle Times, the Mariners are <a href="https://www.seattletimes.com/sports/mariners/ichiro-expected-to-play-a-role-in-mariners-recruitment-of-roki-sasaki/" rel="noopener">“planning a full-fledged recruiting pitch</a> that is expected to include Ichiro” — the Japanese baseball legend who started blazing his trail in the MLB in the Pacific Northwest.</p><p>Ichiro has been a major ambassador for the Mariners for a long time, and there’s no surprise that he is once again going to bat for the beloved franchise that he spent the first 11.5 seasons of his career with. And given how well he hit for average during his time, he could once again net Seattle a base hit in the form of a commitment from Sasaki.</p><p>At the very least, the Mariners won’t be financially outmuscled for Sasaki; the 23-year-old is subject to the amateur signing rules due to his age, which means that every MLB team can do their due diligence in pursuing the Japanese international.</p><p>Thus, the nuances in the recruitment process could prove to make a world of difference, and there may not be something as moving to a young Japanese baseball player looking to chart a stellar career for himself in the big leagues as seeing Ichiro and hearing how good of a move it will be for him to join the Mariners.</p><h2><b>Will the Mariners find their next Japanese sensation in Roki Sasaki?</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Japan-starting-pitcher-Roki-Sasaki.jpg"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The future is bright for Roki Sasaki; only 22 this past season, he put up a sterling 2.35 ERA with 129 strikeouts in 111 innings pitched through 16 games. There is also a pattern of strong performance in the Nippon Professional Baseball League translating to the MLB, which will only serve to make the pursuit of Sasaki that much more heated.</p><p>The Mariners, however, may have a leg up; in addition to having Ichiro sing the praises of the franchise, the likes of Hisashi Iwakuma and Yusei Kikuchi should show Sasaki that signing with Seattle is far from being the worst idea in the world.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

MLB rumors: Mariners set to include Ichiro Suzuki as part of Roki Sasaki recruiting pitch

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb-rumors-mariners-shutting-down-trade-calls-4-key-starters');   ga('set', 'title', 'MLB rumors: Mariners shutting down trade calls on 4 key starters');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/MLB-rumors-Mariners-shutting-down-trade-calls-on-4-key-starters.jpg"></figure><h1>MLB rumors: Mariners shutting down trade calls on 4 key starters</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-09T15:35:48-08:00">December 9th, 3:35pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-09T15:35:56-08:00">December 9th, 3:35pm</time><address><a>Alex House</a>Alex House is a sports journalist who covers the NFL, NBA, and MLB for ClutchPoints. He grew up in a New York sports-heavy region in Connecticut and earned his journalism degree at the University of Rhode Island. His in-depth knowledge of two of the most passionate and raucous fan bases in the country gives him a truly unique writing voice.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Seattle Mariners have amassed the <a href="https://www.statmuse.com/mlb/ask/mlb-teams-most-regular-season-wins-last-5-years" rel="noopener">ninth-most regular season wins</a> in MLB over the last five years, via StatMuse, falling right behind the 2022 National League pennant winning Philadelphia Phillies and well ahead of the 2023 World Series winning Texas Rangers. Few people care about consistency if it does not equate with frequent playoff trips, however.</p><p>The last two years of Mariners baseball has been characterized by missed opportunities and insufficient offense. What briefly looked to be a changing of the guard in the American League West in 2024 turned into the most disappointing campaign Seattle has witnessed in a while. President of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto is faced with a persisting quandary, but if he can solve it, the M’s might finally fulfill their potential.</p><p>Is there a way the franchise can retain its phenomenal pitching rotation and still assemble a respectable lineup? The answer to that question has been a resounding “no” up to now. Many fans believe the only reasonable way to add offensive star power is to <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb-rumors-phillies-alec-bohm-trade-mariners">deal away one of the homegrown starters</a>— Logan Gilbert, George Kirby, Bryce Miller and Bryan Woo. The organization is <a href="https://x.com/shannondrayer/status/1866228014486614373" rel="noopener">maintaining its stance</a>, though.</p><p>Dipoto told MLB Network Radio that the Mariners have “been resistant to even engaging in discussion” on potential trade negotiations for the aforementioned hurlers, per Shannon Drayer. Seattle recorded a 3.49 ERA last season, which was a shade below the Atlanta Braves for the best mark in the big leagues. It clearly prides itself on having arguably the deepest starting staff in the AL, and understandably so.</p><h2><b>Something has to give this offseason for Mariners</b></h2><p>Pitching is king in October, but the M’s have been unable to get there in 22 of the last 23 years. They will likely not return to the playoffs until more ammunition is acquired. Dipoto appears to be focused on securing it via another route. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mariners-perfect-pete-alonso-contract-offer-mlb-free-agency">Free agent first baseman Pete Alonso</a> could be the big bat Seattle needs to protect Julio Rodriguez in the lineup, but a couple of dependable contact hitters might be more valuable since the club ranked 29th in batting average in 2024.</p><p>There are impactful bats available. Seattle just needs to identify the right ones. If it once again fails, Jerry Dipoto might have no choice but to compromise. Trading veteran right-hander and three-time All-Star Luis Castillo will warrant serious consideration, at the very least.</p><p>For now, the Mariners are still trying to see if they can have it all. They have some time left to make a decision, but fans demand a franchise-altering offseason.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

MLB rumors: Mariners shutting down trade calls on 4 key starters

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb-rumors-phillies-alec-bohm-trade-mariners');   ga('set', 'title', 'MLB rumors: Phillies’ eye-opening Alec Bohm trade request to Mariners gets revealed');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/12-04-24-bohm-featured.jpeg"></figure><h1>MLB rumors: Phillies’ eye-opening Alec Bohm trade request to Mariners gets revealed</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-04T12:11:18-08:00">December 4th, 12:11pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-04T12:11:18-08:00">December 4th, 12:11pm</time><address><a>David Korn</a>David Korn is an MLB associate editor at ClutchPoints. He is also a producer at MLB Network Radio and covers college basketball for A10Talk. David graduated from George Washington in 2023, where he was the radio play-by-play broadcaster for their Men's and Women's Basketball teams.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Seattle Mariners had one of, if not the best starting rotations in Major League Baseball last season. It is no surprise that teams like the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb-rumors-mariners-phillies-obvious-trade-fit">Philadelphia Phillies have been calling with trade proposals</a>.</p><p>The Phillies offered All-Star third baseman Alec Bohm to the Mariners <a href="https://www.seattletimes.com/sports/mariners/is-alec-bohm-the-answer-for-the-mariners-at-third-base/" rel="noopener">in exchange</a> for one of their top-two pitchers, Logan Gilbert or George Kirby according to Adam Jude of the Seattle Times.</p><p>“Industry sources said the Mariners have been active in exploratory talks with other clubs, shopping specifically for a new third baseman to replace Josh Rojas, who became a free agent last month when the Mariners opted not to offer him a contract,” Jude wrote. “Philadelphia’s Alec Bohm has been the most popular named linked to the Mariners in trade speculation early in the offseason.”</p><p>“In initial trade talks between the two clubs, the Phillies asked for one of the Mariners’ top pitchers — Logan Gilbert or George Kirby — in exchange for Bohm, a source with knowledge of the discussions said,” Jude continued. “Dipoto has gone on the record saying his preference would be to keep all five pitchers from a starting rotation that ranked as the best in MLB this year.”</p><h2><b>Should the Seattle Mariners consider trading one of their starters to the Philadelphia Phillies for Alec Bohm?</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/12-04-24-bohm-image.jpeg"><figcaption>© Brad Penner-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>After the Mariners non-tendered third baseman Josh Rojas, it makes sense that players like <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb-rumors-phillies-alec-bohm-trade-block-career-season">Bohm are on the team’s radar</a>.</p><p>Bohm had an excellent season for the Phillies in 2024, slashing .280/.332/.448 while hitting 15 home runs and 44 doubles and driving in 97 runs. Bohm was also named to his first All-Star team and participated in the Home Run Derby.</p><p>While Bohm is a very solid third baseman, the Phillies would have to include some more assets if they want to acquire players like Gilbert or Kirby. Gilbert, 26, and Kirby, 27, were both two of the top pitchers in baseball last season. Most importantly, Gilbert has three more years of team control and Kirby has four, making them both incredibly valuable trade targets.</p><p>A more realistic trade could be for the Mariners to send 31-year-old starter Luis Castillo to the Phillies for Bohm. Castillo is a bit older and on a more expensive contract, making it easier for the Mariners to let him go.</p><p>If the Phillies will only consider Gilbert or Kirby, then the Mariners should pass. Bohm is not enough of a difference-maker to give up either of their young aces.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

MLB rumors: Phillies’ eye-opening Alec Bohm trade request to Mariners gets revealed

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb-rumors-mariners-phillies-obvious-trade-fit');   ga('set', 'title', 'MLB rumors: Mariners, Phillies labeled ‘obvious’ trade fit');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Mariners-Phillies-labeled-obvious-trade-fit.jpg"></figure><h1>MLB rumors: Mariners, Phillies labeled ‘obvious’ trade fit</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-02T09:44:59-08:00">December 2nd, 9:44am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-02T09:44:59-08:00">December 2nd, 9:44am</time><address><a>Russell Steinberg</a>Russell Steinberg covers Major League Baseball and the New York Liberty for ClutchPoints. A baseball and basketball lifer, he has written for Boardroom, SLAM, SB Nation, The Next, and more. He graduated from NYU in 2012 and still returns to serve as PA announcer and occasional broadcaster for the school’s basketball and volleyball teams.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Seattle Mariners are in desperate need of <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb-rumors-mariners-eyeing-two-veteran-free-agent-bats-bolster-lineup">an offensive upgrade</a> and the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb-rumors-phillies-alec-bohm-trade-block-career-season">Philadelphia Phillies may be willing to deal Alec Bohm</a>.</p><p>The two teams could be <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5961937/2024/12/02/mlb-free-agency-juan-soto-willy-adames-corbin-burnes/" rel="noopener">ideal trade partners</a>, according to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal.</p><p>“After trading for Carlos Santana and Justin Turner the past two deadlines, the Seattle Mariners want to acquire that type of veteran presence for an entire season, not just the final two months,” Rosenthal wrote in a story published Monday.”</p><p>The Mariners ranked 22nd out of 30 teams in OPS in 2024 and 29th in batting average. At third base, where Josh Rojas got the bulk of the at bats, Mariners batters hit for a .643 OPS with 12 home runs.</p><p>Bohm, who started 2024 red-hot before slumping in the second half, hit .280 with 15 home runs and 97 RBI. Only four of those homers came after the All-Star break, however. He hit .251 in the second half, enduring a left hand injury that sidelined him in the first chunk of September. He returned for the final 11 games of the regular season but hit only .163 in that time.</p><p>With two years of club control remaining, the first-time All-Star in 2024 stands to make around $8.1 million in arbitration for 2025, according to Rosenthal.</p><h2><b>The Mariners hope to address second base internally</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Dylan-Moore-Mariners.jpg"><figcaption>Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The Mariners’ production at second base was nearly as bad as at third. Seattle second basemen, led by now-free agent Jorge Polanco, hit for a .209 batting average and .658 OPS. Still, Rosenthal reports the team could look to fill second base internally, between Dylan Moore and Ryan Bliss to start, then maybe <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/3-prospects-mariners-must-promote-for-playoff-stretch-run">2022 draft pick Cole Young</a>.</p><p>Moore took 368 at bats last year, hitting 10 homers in that time with a 104 OPS+, though he only hit a shade above .201. The career Mariner took home the Gold Glove at his position this year.</p><p>Bliss, who grew up dreaming of playing for the Mariners, made his MLB debut for Seattle in May. He only got 63 at bats with the big league club but held his own in that time, injecting some speed and energy into the lineup.</p><p>After spending most of the 2024 season in Double-A, Young could make his MLB premiere in 2025. Ranked the No. 38 prospect in MLB, per <a href="https://www.mlb.com/prospects" rel="noopener">MLB Pipeline</a>, Young is a contact machine who gets on base and hits the ball hard. He hit .271 for the Arkansas Travelers this season with 25 doubles and 23 stolen bases. If he starts 2025 in Triple-A, it could be just a matter of weeks before he’s playing games in Seattle.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

2024 SEASON STATS
IP	ERA	K	WHIP	HOLDS	SAVES
16	5.063	6	2.0625	2	0

2024 SEASON STATS
IP	ERA	K	WHIP	HOLDS	SAVES
16	5.063	6	2.0625	2	0

Carlos
Vargas

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Carlos
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