Nicholas Castellanos is nothing if not consistent. He is a good hitter. He is one of the worst defenders at his position. This is what he is and has been for the last four years. Still, he is only 27 years old and will undoubtedly be one of the most sought after free agents this winter.
Top Three Potential Landing Spots for Nicholas Castellanos
One interesting aspect of Castellanos is that he is not tied to any draft pick compensation because of the mid-season trade to the Chicago Cubs. Combine that with the fact that he is the best outfield bat on the market and Castellanos should have plenty of competition for his services.
Here are the top three potential landing spots for Nicholas Castellanos.
Arizona Diamondbacks
The Arizona Diamondbacks have a glaring need in right field, although Josh Rojas showed some promise there in 2019. The rest of the positions are pretty set in stone, with perhaps the exception of second base. Castellanos fits nicely into the lineup. The Diamondbacks had immense success with another former Detroit Tiger in J.D. Martinez so perhaps they try and double up here.
#DBacks among the teams interested in free agent Nicholas Castellanos, one source said this week. @MLBNetwork @MLB
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) December 4, 2019
What’s more, Castellanos does have experience at third base, meaning the Diamondbacks could be creative with some lineup construction. Ketel Marte is a good enough defender in center field to also hide some of the defensive limitations that Castellanos carries. It might also allow the team to utilize Jake Lamb in a better fashion to avoid him seeing left-handed pitching.
San Francisco Giants
This one makes sense when you dive a little deeper. The San Francisco Giants hired Scott Harris as their new GM, whose last job was the assistant GM for the Chicago Cubs. Of course, the Cubs were the team that traded for Castellanos in the summer and reaped the rewards of the power surge that the right fielder had once he left the spacious confines of Comerica Park. It’s unclear what Harris plans to do, but Castellanos is probably on his radar.
The Giants could use help all over the diamond. Right field in Oracle Park is difficult which may cause some hesitation, but the team is in desperate need of a high-impact bat. They may look to sign Castellanos early knowing he can play both the infield and the outfield.
Miami Marlins
The Miami Marlins, perhaps, are not the first team that comes to mind when predicting a major free-agent destination. However, there may be something here. Jim Frisaro, of MLB.com, did mention that the Marlins are believed to be interested in Castellanos, who he mentions is a South Florida native. If playing close to home is important to Castellanos he may find the Marlins to be an appealing destination.
Castellanos, who is a noted hater of large parks, may not have initially thought of Miami, but in 2020 the organization is moving in the fences. Maybe this will tempt the 27-year-old to return home. Let’s not forget that the Marlins are in desperate need of offense as well. It may not be an obvious match but there is a potential connection here.
Wherever Castellanos winds up, his bat should remain potent. Optimally, an American League team should sign him to DH. However, there aren’t a lot of perfect fits in the Junior Circuit. His defense may limit the teams that are willing to fully invest in the outfielder but he should still fetch a nice deal. The analytics do continue to show a terrible defender. He did show some slight improvements in 2019. Most likely, a team will see a young and durable slugger and look past his porous defense. Expect an AAV of around $12-15 million for three to five years.
