LA Angels: 3 reasons to pursue a Luis Castillo trade

Prospect Cost

The prospect package for Luis Castillo would likely be centered around the Angels’ 2020 first round pick, Reid Detmers. Luis Castillo has a much higher ceiling than Reid Detmers and is already doing it at the major league level. Detmers also is not expected to crack the major league roster until late 2022, and for a team with win now expectations that will not cut it.

Reid Detmers is a very good prospect and likely will become a big leaguer at some point in his career, but Luis Castillo is an ace with a solidified background. He would become the ace that the Angels desperately need, while also able to be in Anaheim for at least three years.

By the time Luis Castillo is a free agent, Albert Pujols and Justin Upton will be off of the books, so an extension would not be out of the picture. In that case, losing Reid Detmers does not really hurt the franchise long term, but helps tremendously in the short term. The Angels hold the ninth overall pick in 2021 and could look to replace Detmers with that pick if they do end up trading him for Castillo. Again, the Angels would not be hurt too much long term over the loss of Detmers if Castillo can be as good as he has been in prior years and continue to become a better pitcher.

The Angels might also have to part with Jo Adell, their most prized young piece. It’s an interesting proposition.