The legend of Jerry Dipoto struck again.

The trade-crazy Seattle Mariners GM made yet another headline-grabbing deal, acquiring Cincinnati Reds ace Luis Castillo in exchange for a package of top prospects headlined by Noelvi Marte. In his seven season tenure with the Mariners, Dipoto has completed nearly 130 trades, a shockingly large number, some of which far more favorable than the others. Let’s take a deep dive into Diptoto’s most recent trade, and what the players dealt mean to both sides.

Seattle receives: Luis Castillo (SP)

A top of the line ace, the two-time All Star Luis Castillo was a valuable trade chip for the rebuilding Reds, and rumors had been swirling about potential trade packages since last year’s deadline. Given he has control through 2023, his value was much higher than just a half season rental. Castillo will slide in as the Mariners #1 starter, giving them another high quality arm to pair with Robbie Ray and Logan Gilbert.

Castillo is far above average in most peripherals, and his 82nd percentile ranking in Barrel% and 81st percentile ranking in xSLG make him an extremely difficult pitcher to hit hard. A sparkling 2.86 ERA and 3.20 FIP accompanied with a miniscule 0.74 HR/9 has translated to a 2.1 WAR despite not debuting until Cincinnati's 29th game. His ex-Reds and now current Mariners teammate Jesse Winker had high praise for Castillo when discussing the recent move.

“He’s the best. He’s special. And he’s gonna fit in great here, obviously. We have some outstanding pitchers here already and he’s just gonna come in and be great.”

Winker described how remarkable Castillo’s success was, since he had to pitch in the hitter-friendly Great American Ballpark.

“He’s done that while pitching in Great American Ballpark. He’s elite. I think that’s the easiest way to describe him. And he’s only getting better. He’s always gotten better year after year after year. It’s another guy that we have that the sky's the limit for and I’m excited that he’s here.”

Castillo offers top of the rotation potential, and barring any more shoulder issues, which bothered him early in the year, he could be the missing piece for a Mariners organization desperate for their first playoff appearance since 2001.

Cincinnati receives: Noelvi Marte (SS), Edwin Arroyo (SS), Levi Stoudt (SP), Andrew Moore (SP)

With Castillo’s market being a big question mark, many wondered how good the prospect return for Cincinnati. Would it be a Jose Berrios to the Blue Jays type transaction, where the Twins got multiple top 4 organizational prospects? Or could it be a Yu Darvish to the Padres trade, with major league ready talent and lower ranked prospects? In the end, the package looks very similar to the Berrios trade, with the Reds acquiring the Mariners top 2 prospects, and more.

Noelvi Marte (#1 organization, #18 overall)

The young shortstop with 5-tool potential was the headliner for the Reds, and the 18th best prospect in baseball is a high ceiling player who has performed well at the minor league level. In 85 games at Single-A+ Everett, Marte is slashing .275/.363/.462 with a 134 wRC+. His raw power tool, ranked 55/70 by Fangraphs, has been on full display with his 15 homers. The fielding has been a little bit of a struggle for Marte, as he’s committed 24 errors in 704 innings at shortstop this year, but defense often matures with age. He will be touted as the next great Red, and will have a clear path to be the team’s starting shortstop in the years to come.

Edwin Arroyo (#2 organization, #93 overall)

The 18-year old Arroyo was the 2nd best prospect in the Mariners system, and is another very high ceiling shortstop who continues to develop well in the minors. In 87 games at Single-A Modesto, Arroyo has put up similar numbers to Marte, posting a .316/.385/.514 slash line with a 132 wRC+. He too has shown solid power, with 13 homers to go along with 67 RBI. Arroyo is also a speed threat, swiping 21 bags. He’s proved to be an extremely mature hitter for his age with a plus-plus hit tool.The former 2nd rounder is a candidate to shoot up prospect rankings, and could be due for a promotion soon.

Levi Stoudt (#5 organization, NR overall)

Stoudt is a very interesting prospect. A former 3rd round pick, he underwent Tommy John surgery almost immediately after being selected, and didn’t debut until mid-2021. At 24 years old with a 5.28 ERA and 4.74 FIP at Double-A Arkansas this year, he may need longer to develop than other prospects. However, Stoudt still has a solid pitch repertoire, with an upper 90’s fastball and elite splitter. He will need to develop a strong third pitch, as both his slider and curveball are listed as average and below average, respectively.

Andrew Moore (29th organization, NR overall)

The Reds may have found a future shutdown reliever with Andrew Moore. A full-time reliever in Single A, Moore has pitched to a fantastic 1.95 ERA and 2.16 FIP. He has an absurd 16.14 strikeouts per 9 innings, and a pitch mix with an upper 90s fastball and above average slider and curve. His only issue has been command, as he pitched to a staggering 8.35 BB/9 in 2021. While he did cut those walks nearly in half in 2022, with 4.73 BB/9, he will need to locate better as he faces tougher and tougher competition. Moore looks like a high floor reliever who could contribute with the big league club in the coming years.

Mariners Grade: B+

The Mariners have a bad history of trading elite talent for unexciting veterans. And while Castillo is the opposite of unexciting, it leaves many wondering if Jerry Dipoto and the Mariners front office have again let go of top talent too early in an attempt to win now. Ketel Marte, Chris Taylor, Tyler O’Neill, Pablo Lopez, and Taijuan Walker are just some of the names that the Mariners traded away before their peak, and it’s fair to consider the possibility that any of the four prospects could be far more valuable than Castillo in the future. However, for a team as playoff-desperate as the Mariners, acquiring an ace like Castillo makes a lot of sense. While Baseball Trade Values had this as a 150% overpay for the M’s, I do think that the deal will help push them over the hump and compete in October, giving them a final grade of a B+.

Reds Grade: A

For many, the inclusion of Marte in this deal was a bit of a shock. He was extremely well regarded in the Mariners system and with no long term option at 2nd base, it seemed like he would fit the team’s future well. However, it seemed as if the asking price for Castillo required a #1 organizational prospect, and a deal without Marte wouldn’t have worked. The Yankees, who had long been pegged as a potential suitor for Castillo, reportedly declined offers from the Reds involving the big righty, since they included New York’s #1 prospect, Anthony Volpe. The Reds wanted a top prospect all along, and they got their guy in Marte. Truly a good job by the Reds front office not settling for anything less than a team’s best young prospects. Overall, I’m going to give the Reds an A on this deal. They re-tooled their farm system with two elite shortstop prospects and added some higher floor arms.