Mariners president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto told reporters Wednesday that Castillo won't pitch in the World Baseball Classic for the Dominican Republic, Daniel Kramer of MLB.com reports.

"It's a choice that we made together," Dipoto told reporters. The Mariners want Castillo to have a full spring training in his first full season with the club, and Castillo agreed. The right-hander was excellent in his time with Seattle after being traded from the Reds shortly before last season's deadline, producing a 3.17 ERA, 77:17 K:BB and 1.10 WHIP over 65.1 innings across 11 starts. He'll open the year as the ace of Seattle's pitching staff, with the combination of last season's body of work and that of his previous campaigns suggesting he'll be a top-end fantasy asset again in 2023.

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