Here's What the Braves Could Offer in a Luis Castillo Trade

With the 2022 MLB All-Star break officially in the rearview mirror, teams around baseball officially turn their attention to the Aug. 2 trade deadline. There are a few names around baseball considered the prize possessions for this year's deadline, including Cincinnati Reds ace Luis Castillo.

Pretty much every contending team in baseball has a need for starting pitcher, including the Atlanta Braves. With that in mind, The Athletic surveyed Braves insider David O’Brien about what the team could offer to pry Castillo away from the Reds before the first week in August.

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O'Brien mentioned just a pair of top prospects as pieces Atlanta may be willing to part with in order to obtain Castillo. This includes LHPs Kyle Muller and Tucker Davidson. Muller is the franchise's No. 1 prospect, according to MLB.com, while Davidson ranks No. 5.

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Muller will be the "centerpiece" of this offer according to O'Brien. He's a towering 6-foot-7 arm who actually pitched against the Reds last June, impressing with one hit allowed and nine strikeouts across five scoreless innings. Muller hasn't found his full footing at the MLB level yet, but owns a 2.95 ERA in 15 Triple-A starts this year.

There is a question about whether this trade package is enough. In The Athletic's exercise, MLB insider Keith Law weighed in his thoughts on the package and bluntly referred to it as "nowhere near enough."

Davidson is another near-MLB ready prospect. He's made three starts in the big leagues this season to the tune of a 6.46 ERA. While that's not entirely impressive, he's racked up a career 3.45 ERA at Triple-A.

The Braves will need to work on O'Brien's proposed offer if they hope to acquire the top starting pitcher available this deadline. Castillo is a clear top of the rotation piece after earning his second All-Star appearance thanks to a 2.77 ERA and 9.5 strikeouts per nine innings.

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