SEATTLE — Burned by injuries the last time the World Baseball Classic was played, the Mariners were understandably reluctant to let their staff ace pitch in the event this year.
And, it turns out, Luis Castillo has agreed not to play for his native Dominican Republic when the WBC returns in March, much to the relief of the major league team that made a significant investment in trading for him last summer — and then signing him to a five-year, $108 million contact.
“He’s going to be in camp with us,” Mariners president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto said Wednesday, “and that is something we are pleased with, that he’ll be there. It’s a choice that we made together.”
