Early Saturday, the New York Yankees and Miami Marlins reportedly reached an agreement on a Giancarlo Stanton trade. In return, the Marlins will receive second baseman Starlin Castro and a pair of non-elite prospects, along with an ample heaping of salary relief.
Castro might not want to get too comfy about moving to Miami, however. That's because he's about to become a popular target in trade talks -- including, apparently, for the New York Mets. Here's what Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News reported late Saturday:
A Mets team source confirmed to the News on Saturday that once the Stanton deal is finalized, the club will check in with the Marlins about Castro to possibly fill their second base vacancy.
Spinning off Castro after the Stanton deal is finalized would make sense. Though the Marlins just traded Dee Gordon, their incumbent starter at the keystone, it's clear that the new ownership group will continue to mine the team, looking to save money wherever possible. Castro is a fine player -- he made the All-Star Game last year and has managed a 94 OPS+ over the last three seasons -- but he's also due more than $20 million over the next two years, which is presumably more than the Marlins intend to pay any player if they can avoid it.
As for the Mets, their interest is sensible. New York's second-base situation is up in the air, as they ended last season playing Jose Reyes and Gavin Cecchini there. Neither represents a realistic option in 2018 -- not for a team whose aspirations include making the postseason again. Castro, soon entering his age-28 season, would give the Mets a relative low-cost solution for next season and the season thereafter.
Obviously that doesn't mean anyone should plan on Castro joining the other New York team in the coming days. But it would make sense, and that's more than you can say about most rumors that pop up around this time of the year.
