Somehow, someway, the Seattle Mariners need to figure out how to alleviate their pitching logjam. 

Coming out of the All-Star break, the Mariners will once again use a six-man starting rotation, leaving themselves one arm short in the bullpen.

And while that may be able to work for a bit because of the All-Star break and an off day on July 23, the Mariners will have to change things up at some point and move back to a traditional five-man rotation.

How they clear it up is the question. Can they move a starter, likely Luis Castillo or Emerson Hancock, to the bullpen? Can they trade a starter at the deadline in exchange for a bat or a bullpen arm that can help them try to win the American League West for the second straight year?

And how does all of this impact the path to the big leagues for top prospect Kade Anderson?

Given his age (33), money owed, (nearly $25 million in 2027 and a vesting option for 2028), and his performance in the first half, trading Castillo seems like a desirable outcome for the Mariners, but those are also factors which make a team less likely to want to acquire him.

Furthermore, there was thought to be a glut of starting pitching available on the trade market, but because of teams clawing back into contention, that market might be thinning, which could open things up for the Mariners on the Castillo front.

We caught up with ESPN MLB Insider Buster Olney on the most recent 'Refuse to Lose Territory' podcast to talk about if Castillo is acquiring more value at this point.

"I think that's a great read on it by you.

I think, generally speaking, there's going to be a fair amount of starting pitching available. Among the teams that are out, Freddy Peralta, the Mets, Clay Holmes, who's going to come back from the injured list sometime in August, Robbie Ray. The Reds are going to have some guys who are available, I think, and they'll wind up trading.

But you're right. (Tarik) Skubal potentially comes off the market. That's a big name. That's a big hit to the trade market. Sonny Gray, Casey Mize—if the Tigers decide to keep, it's not only about Skubal, it's about him as well.

...Again, this is one time of year when small sample size matters. If Luis Castillo throws well the next couple of times out, maybe that percolates interest.

The big question, to me, is the Mariners' willingness to eat money in any proposed trade, because they're going to have to do that with the uncertainty about labor.

Any interested team in him is going to have to factor in the possibility that next year there could be a salary cap. The Players Association leadership is saying, "We're not going to embrace that." But if you're an acquiring team, you have to be concerned about the 2027 financial obligation, which complicates any trade conversation."

The Mariners open up the second half of the season on Friday (7:10 p.m. PT) against the San Francisco Giants.

The latest 'Refuse to Lose Territory' podcast is out now, featuring MLB Draft and prospect guru Joe Doyle. You can listen here, or you can watch in the YouTube player below.

Remember to join our MARINERS on ROUNDTABLE community, which is FREE! You can post your own thoughts, in text or video form, and you can engage with our Roundtable staff, as well as other Mariners fans. If prompted to download the Roundtable APP, that's free too!