The New York Mets have been active in building a 2025 roster that can compete for the playoffs after a surprising run to the NLCS last season. Although president of baseball operations David Stearns has made several additions to his starting rotation, could he be eyeing a trade for Seattle Mariners ace Luis Castillo?

New York’s rotation has a fair number of questions attached to it. Re-signing Sean Manaea was a solid move, but Kodai Senga is essentially coming off a lost season due to injury. Frankie Montas didn’t have a terrific 2024 and Clay Holmes will be transitioning to the rotation after exclusively being a reliever since 2019.

Adding a three-time All-Star like Castillo would be huge for the Mets. The Mariners could also use more offense as they try to compete for a postseason spot. What might they want from New York to ship their right-hander to Queens?

Clutch Points’ Jordan Llanes thinks Seattle’s ideal target would be infielder Luisangel Acuña, but he views that type of swap as unrealistic.

“Trading Castillo to another postseason contender (like the New York Mets or Baltimore Orioles) could bring back a bat or two that would help their starting lineup,” Llanes wrote. “Trying to pry Luisangel Acuña from the Mets would be a dream but unlikely.”

Castillo is in the middle of a five-year, $108 million extension he signed with Seattle. He’s set to earn $24.15 million each season between 2025 and 2027. Acuña only has 40 big-league plate appearances under his belt. The 22-year-old isn’t eligible for arbitration until 2028 or free agency until 2031.