From MLB.com today, under the heading of biggest surprises:

2. The White Sox swap for Luis Castillo

With six healthy starters and top pitching prospect Kade Anderson waiting in the wings, the Mariners were prime candidates to trade a starter. Surprisingly, they moved Luis Castillo, who was having a career-worst year with a 5.06 ERA and 78 ERA+, without having to eat a single cent of his contract ($24.2 million salary through next season, plus a $25 million vesting option for 2028).

Chicago offset some costs by sending back reliever Seranthony Domínguez ($10 million owed next year), but the White Sox are still taking on a massive financial risk. They gain a proven veteran leader, but one who hasn't pitched significantly above league average in years.

1 minute ago, Lip Man 1 said:

From MLB.com today, under the heading of biggest surprises:

2. The White Sox swap for Luis Castillo

With six healthy starters and top pitching prospect Kade Anderson waiting in the wings, the Mariners were prime candidates to trade a starter. Surprisingly, they moved Luis Castillo, who was having a career-worst year with a 5.06 ERA and 78 ERA+, without having to eat a single cent of his contract ($24.2 million salary through next season, plus a $25 million vesting option for 2028).

Chicago offset some costs by sending back reliever Seranthony Domínguez ($10 million owed next year), but the White Sox are still taking on a massive financial risk. They gain a proven veteran leader, but one who hasn't pitched significantly above league average in years.

I just don't think its that big of a financial risk. The Sox added $13.5M to their payroll (in both 26 & 27 combined) with the Castillo trade. That is literal mice nuts in the MLB terms.

56 minutes ago, ChiSox59 said:

I just don't think its that big of a financial risk. The Sox added $13.5M to their payroll (in both 26 & 27 combined) with the Castillo trade. That is literal mice nuts in the MLB terms.

I wonder what this brings the 2027 opening day payroll up to now.

36 minutes ago, JoeC said:

I wonder what this brings the 2027 opening day payroll up to now.

According to Spotrac it's $78,250,000 for just 6 guys though but they're not counting Brozaban, Doyle and Bart. Hays has an $8 mutual option so likely minus that . So it's likely with who's here at the end of the season and a lot of guys pre Arb , might be looking at close to $100M.

The 6 players are

Castillo

Murakami

Benintendi

Hicks

Hays

Kay

1 hour ago, Lip Man 1 said:

From MLB.com today, under the heading of biggest surprises:

2. The White Sox swap for Luis Castillo

With six healthy starters and top pitching prospect Kade Anderson waiting in the wings, the Mariners were prime candidates to trade a starter. Surprisingly, they moved Luis Castillo, who was having a career-worst year with a 5.06 ERA and 78 ERA+, without having to eat a single cent of his contract ($24.2 million salary through next season, plus a $25 million vesting option for 2028).

Chicago offset some costs by sending back reliever Seranthony Domínguez ($10 million owed next year), but the White Sox are still taking on a massive financial risk. They gain a proven veteran leader, but one who hasn't pitched significantly above league average in years.

Massive financial risk? GTFO. You're adding 26 million or so over two years. There isn't a chance his vesting option hits and in the world where he pitches 180+ innings it probably would be a tradeable deal.

For all we know the salary floor will be implemented and we need to add another 50 million for 2027.

2 minutes ago, ron883 said:

Its a fair comment, but also kind of stupid. Not many people have seen Mason Adams pitch or Boston Smith play a game. Just because James (or anyone, really) maybe has a couple times doesn't make their opinion all that much more valuable. Ultimately, no one knows these guys better than the Sox, so I am good with moving them.

I have never seen Bonemer play. I guess if the Sox traded him for a questionable player, I wouldn't be able to complain. I like James, but his argument makes no sense.

Rough Mariners debut for Seranthony vs. Detroit

Walk (to Baez!), single, RBI groundout, 3 run HR, solo shot, single, walk.

0.1 IP, 4 H (2 HR), 4 ER, 2 BB.

13 hours ago, Autumn Dreamin said:

Rough Mariners debut for Seranthony vs. Detroit

Walk (to Baez!), single, RBI groundout, 3 run HR, solo shot, single, walk.

0.1 IP, 4 H (2 HR), 4 ER, 2 BB.

OUCH! Guess he wasn’t “fixed” 😆 Will have to look up and see what kind of situation they used him in.

Edit: Wasn’t even a leverage situation 😆

Edited August 5Aug 5 by hi8is

Journalism is dead for not praising this trade

1 hour ago, ron883 said:

Journalism is dead for not praising this trade

Jimmy unironically doing the "Keith Law hates the White Sox"

Well Castillo has it within his power to shut up all the critics.

We'll see what happens.

Edited August 6Aug 6 by Lip Man 1

15 minutes ago, ron883 said:

Jimmy unironically doing the "Keith Law hates the White Sox"

Keith Law hates the White Sox being penny wise, pound foolish.

On 8/5/2026 at 3:32 AM, Dick Allen said:

I have never seen Bonemer play. I guess if the Sox traded him for a questionable player, I wouldn't be able to complain. I like James, but his argument makes no sense.

Unless you’re a professional, paid scout, these opinions are basically meaningless.

Not even Keith Law is watching 7-10 consecutive games of a player.

They’re snapshots.

98% chance Adam’s doesn’t have the stuff for the majors, and Boston Smith doesn’t become a frontline catcher, but they’re still assets that were essentially wasted…when they already had Hill Pereira Hays and Acuna.

Getting too cute with the roster.

How much would Castillo get this off-season on the open market?

Probably around $6-8 million, a one year deal with an option for 2028 based on innings/performance, probably.

White Sox outbid the entire market by a long shot…just like Tigers panicked not holding onto Skubal and getting more from the Brewers.

Basically all paid baseball writers go with what team scouts and industry insiders say about prospects…just don’t have the time/resources/ROI for it to be worthwhile traveling to follow players, even Roch or Lackey.

Jeff Teague had a long NBA career and gave up scouting for ATL after paying to upgrade lousy hotel rooms, lol. there’s just no money in it, especially with AI standardizing things and all the investment going into SEC and ACC budgets/coaching staffs.

Edited August 6Aug 6 by caulfield12

On 8/3/2026 at 1:32 PM, WhiteSox2023 said:

I don’t think anyone thinks that. They are on the hook for the prorated amount for this year and the entirety of his contract for next year. I read that it is $30 million. Including Seranthony and his money will obviously offset some of that remaining $30 million owed this year and next.

I had to explain player options for years on realgm don't tell me that the immediate reaction from over posters wasn't people that thought we were spending 75 million on this.

Because they played the show or ootp

Edited August 6Aug 6 by bobbydanks

59 minutes ago, bobbydanks said:

I had to explain player options for years on realgm don't tell me that the immediate reaction from over posters wasn't people that thought we were spending 75 million on this.

Because they played the show or ootp

RealGM is the equivalent of clueless Sox fans on Twitter. Sox fans on this site actually have a clue about contracts and how they work.

Edited August 6Aug 6 by WhiteSox2023

I'm pretty sure the idea was to bring in a veteran starting pitcher that would go longer than Fedde.....Castillo needs to be better.

Walking a weak 8th place hitter when you have a 4-0 lead is gross.

https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/castilu02.shtml

Holy statistics!!!

For pretty much 9 seasons, his bWAR has been declining.

Peak was clearly 2019-2023...obviously 2020 was the shortened Covid season.

2018 is the only anomaly.

Then the slight improvements from 2024 to 2025 before the collapse this season.

2024 1.9

2025 2.3

Right now, it's at -0.9!!!

Prior to 2026, never negative.

Note: don't ever buy high priced pitchers on the wrong side of their career decline

Edited August 7Aug 7 by caulfield12

On 8/5/2026 at 8:47 PM, ron883 said:

Journalism is dead for not praising this trade

On 8/5/2026 at 10:00 PM, ron883 said:

Jimmy unironically doing the "Keith Law hates the White Sox"

Has nothing to do with praising or liking the trade. I totally understand not liking the trade or thinking they should've done something more or different. Be honest in the assessment though. Not mentioning Seranthony Dominguez is disingenuous. They took on Castillo's money but they got rid of Dominguez and his salary within the scope of the deal. It's like $12-13 million for Castillo in 2027 essentially and he'd probably get close to that on the open market still.

Keith Law didn't write it. It was someone named Johnny Flores Jr. I couldn't find him or I would've tagged him.

https://www.fangraphs.com/leaders/major-league?month=0&pos=all&stats=pit&type=8&qual=100&pagenum=3&pageitems=30

3 of the bottom 16 fWAR (out of 91) with over 100 ip

Kay Castillo and Fedde

43 minutes ago, Y2Jimmy0 said:

Has nothing to do with praising or liking the trade. I totally understand not liking the trade or thinking they should've done something more or different. Be honest in the assessment though. Not mentioning Seranthony Dominguez is disingenuous. They took on Castillo's money but they got rid of Dominguez and his salary within the scope of the deal. It's like $12-13 million for Castillo in 2027 essentially and he'd probably get close to that on the open market still.

Keith Law didn't write it. It was someone named Johnny Flores Jr. I couldn't find him or I would've tagged him.

Which of those bottom 16 fWAR and slightly beyond would possibly get that $$$?

Peralta and Ray? Singer? Merrill Kelly? Springs? Mikolas?

You’re not even taking into consideration moving from Castillo’s offense suppressing environment in Seattle to GRF.

Edited August 7Aug 7 by caulfield12

45 minutes ago, Y2Jimmy0 said:

Has nothing to do with praising or liking the trade. I totally understand not liking the trade or thinking they should've done something more or different. Be honest in the assessment though. Not mentioning Seranthony Dominguez is disingenuous. They took on Castillo's money but they got rid of Dominguez and his salary within the scope of the deal. It's like $12-13 million for Castillo in 2027 essentially and he'd probably get close to that on the open market still.

Keith Law didn't write it. It was someone named Johnny Flores Jr. I couldn't find him or I would've tagged him.

I'm struggling to see how Castillo suddenly gets paid less because you traded another asset that cost money?

Castillo's price is 23 million. This implication that Dominguez is worth zero dollars so his entire salary is an off-set is tough to accept. The Sox lost the player they valued as a 10 million/yr player 6 months ago. That's not some net monetary gain that limits the cost of Castillo on the open market.

3 minutes ago, Look at Ray Ray Run said:

I'm struggling to see how Castillo suddenly gets paid less because you traded another asset that cost money?

Castillo's price is 23 million. This implication that Dominguez is worth zero dollars so his entire salary is an off-set is tough to accept. The Sox lost the player they valued as a 10 million/yr player 6 months ago. That's not some net monetary gain that limits the cost of Castillo on the open market.

Also, I am not seeing that as a positive. It means the Sox still aren't willing to take on dollars to defray prospect cost. The logic is if Dominguez really is a great contract to dump, that the inclusion of Boston Smith is what bought it, and that if they had been willing to take on dollars, Smith would still be a Baron. I don't see that as a positive.

Still a 7% decline from GRF to Seattle would be expected.

Only surprise is GRF not playing as an offense-first environment, actually 22nd.

But there’s still August and early September to go.

Also holds true for 2024-25.

GRF 19th for offense, Seattle consistently the very worst.

baseballsavant.com

Statcast Park Factors

Baseball Savant

Edited August 7Aug 7 by caulfield12