Bleacher Report recommends risky Luis Castillo trade for LA Angels

When this MLB lockout finally ends, there's going to be a rush of free agent signings and trades made for all teams including the LA Angels. The hot stove is going to be hotter than ever, and don't be shocked to see GM's also hit the phones and pull off some deals. The Angels are no strangers to trade rumors themselves, and particularly for Luis Castillo.

Bleacher Report recently looked at eight trade scenarios that would benefit both teams, and Zachary D. Rymer had one with the Halos and Castillo. Interestingly, Rymer DID point out that ESPN's Buster Olney reported that Castillo was "off limits," but he ALSO pointed out the true reality that it didn't stop trade rumors surrounding him from going around. He talked about how MLB Network's Jon Heyman did report that the Angels are at "the forefront" of the talks for Castillo.

So, he put an interesting proposal together: Jo Adell and Sam Bachman to the Reds, and Castillo to the Angels. There are truly two ways to approach this trade. On one end, the Angels desperately need a young and consistent pitcher who can be effective for years to come. That's Castillo.

Castillo is one of the better starting pitchers in baseball, recording a 3.72 career ERA since he joined the league in 2017, and a 123 career ERA+. On the other hand, Adell and Bachman have very bright futures in this league.

The LA Angels trading Adell and Bachman for Luis Castillo could also be risky.

If the LA Angels want to trade Adell for Luis Castillo, again, I can't blame them. Castillo is exactly what the Halos need. They already have a lot of money being spent on their outfield this year, too, so it's not like they don't believe in their other outfield options. While Adell is very underrated, driving in 26 runs in 35 games in 2021, Castillo has already proven to be a sure thing for five years now.

This trade would be risky, though, due to the Angels also having to throw in their 2021 first-round pick Bachman as well. Bachman was the biggest piece drafted in the 2021 Draft, where the Angels drafted all pitchers to make sure they set an agenda where they could literally do everything they possibly could to land on some pitching for once.

Bachman has a lot of upside. He throws the heater in the mid-90s consistently and can get it over 100. He can both start AND come out of the bullpen.

His command on his changeup is going to be crucial in his career, but it does grade at a solid 55 on the 20-to-80 scale. The fastball is a 70, and it's the best pitch he had en route to a very successful college career at Miami (OH). He had a 1.81 ERA in 2021, and was second in D-I ball with a 0.77 WHIP.

The trade becomes risky when adding him to the fold, as it wouldn't be wild to suggest that Bachman could turn into a Castillo-type pitcher in his career. It wouldn't be a bad trade by any means, but there truly are two sides to this proposal. At the end of the day, all Angels fans want the same thing. Whether we're down to make this trade for Castillo, or wanting to see just how well Bachman can develop, we all know that pitching is the ultimate X-factor for how this team plays this upcoming season and in the future. If we don't improve the staff somehow after the deadline, via this trade or something else, don't expect us to be championship contenders in 2022.