The Mariners made one of the more significant moves in Major League Baseball before the trade deadline, acquiring Luis Castillo from the Reds.
However, it appears Seattle was in pursuit of another 2022 All-Star before it made a deal with Cincinnati for the talented right-hander.
The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal offered a recap of the Juan Soto sweepstakes in wake of the blockbuster trade between the San Diego Padres and the Washington Nationals. According to the MLB insider, the Mariners made a run at Soto shortly after he rejected a massive contract extension offer from the Nats.
"The Mariners made a significant offer for Soto at the outset of the Nationals' negotiating process, sources said, leading their package with shortstops Noelvi Marte and Edwin Arroyo, two of the players who ultimately helped them land Luis Castillo from the Reds," Rosenthal wrote in a column published Wednesday.
"Many in the industry considered the Reds' four-player return for Castillo a coup, even though he was the best available starting pitcher on the trade market, and came with one additional year of club control. Yet, the same framework did not even get the Mariners close in the Soto sweepstakes."
Soto obviously could have made a monumental impact in the Pacific Northwest, but Castillo is a pretty darn good consolation prize. The 29-year-old very well might help the Mariners get over the hump and reach the playoffs for the first time since 2001.
