i know it looks like a somewhat team-friendly contract for the mariners now, however i personally would not have signed castillo to a 5-year, $108M deal. why? two major reasons:
1. he has a history of arm problems. even *this season* he missed the first full month of the season.
2. he will be on the wrong side of 30 when next season begins.
if the reds would have signed him to that deal and his arm blew out, homer bailey style, what would many of us have been saying? "reds never learn their lesson. can't give out $100M contracts when you're a small market team, especially to guys on the wrong side of 30."
even if castillo stays healthy (huge IF) during his time with the mariners, it's reasonable to assume his production will decline as he ages. by the time he's 34, that contract could look like an abyss for the mariners.