Injuries have thinned the starting rotation, with Justin Steele done for the season, Shota Imanaga on the injured list and Javier Assad yet to throw a major-league pitch this season.

The Chicago Cubs are adamant about making the playoffs this season and have done everything in their power to bolster their rotation. The Cubs had a strong offseason by adding some top players, including Kyle Tucker.

Castillo signed a five-year, $108 million contract before the 2023 season, and dumping the rest of that money would be Seattle's only real motivation for trading him at this point. He's owed $24.2 million every year from 2025-2027, with a $25 million vesting option for 2028 if he throws 180-plus innings in 2027.