Seattle Mariners, RHP Luis Castillo agree to 5-year contract

The Seattle Mariners have locked up another ace for their pitching staff, agreeing to a five-year contract with right-hander Luis Castillo on Saturday.

Castillo was the big trade deadline acquisition for the Mariners when they acquired him from Cincinnati. The hope was Castillo would be the difference in Seattle’s push to end the longest playoff drought in baseball and that the Mariners could convince him to stick around longer.

They’ve succeeded in locking up Castillo. And Seattle entered Saturday with a three-game lead over Baltimore for the final AL wild card.

Castillo’s contract is reportedly worth $108 million and will begin with the 2023 season, his final season of arbitration eligibility. It runs through 2027 and includes a mutual option for 2028.

The 29-year-old Castillo is 7-6 with a 2.85 ERA and 154 strikeouts in 23 starts between Seattle and Cincinnati. Since joining the Mariners, he is 3-2 with a 2.83 ERA and 64 strikeouts in nine starts.

Castillo was named to the National League All-Star team in July for his second All-Star selection.

Reporting by The Associated Press.