The remaining free agents will be signed in a big spending spree whenever the MLB lockout is over. Nick Castellanos is one of the best bats and is still looking for a contract. Castellanos is looking for a big deal after opting out of his contract with the Cincinnati Reds. The All-Star is coming off the best season of his career, the soon-to-be 30-year-old figures to make a lot of money with a new team. Plenty of teams are looking for a corner outfielder that can be landing spots for Castellanos.
2021 was a career year for Castellanos. The veteran set career highs in home runs with 34 and the slash line statistics: .309/.362/.576. He was a first-time All-Star and Silver Slugger winner. Castellanos was always a good hitter before 2021, but he became a great hitter this past season. Overall, he has a career of .814 OPS. Defense is certainly not his strong suit, but he has worked hard to become a serviceable outfielder. Here are some landing spots for Castellanos that could use a corner outfielder.
Nick Castellanos Best Fits
Chicago White Sox
Leftfield and center field for the Chicago White Sox are set in stone: Eloy Jiménez and Luis Robert patrol those outfield spots. However, there are question marks in right field. Andrew Vaughn and Gavin Sheets had quality rookie seasons, and their potential is sky-high, but they are still very young. Adam Engel is a defensive specialist with impressive speed, but his bat is questioned based on his career .641 OPS. Castellanos’s bat is not a question, and while his defense is far from good, the DH spot is available for him as he ages. Chicago is an excellent team looking for a couple of pieces to make them a true World Series contender. Castellanos can be one of those pieces.
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres were arguably the biggest disappointment of the 2021 season. One of the biggest reasons for their failure is the regression of their outfielders. Tommy Pham, Trent Grisham, and Wil Myers all had their struggles this past season, combining to hit .242. With Pham possibly leaving in free agency, the Padres also have to deal with a lack of depth in the outfield. Jurickson Profar is the only other player on the Padres with extensive experience in the outfield. San Diego needs a corner outfielder, and Nick Castellanos is a great fit. Plus, few people want to win as badly as the veteran, so the addition of Castellanos could get the Padres back into the postseason.
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies have one of the best outfielders in the league, including the reigning NL MVP in Bryce Harper. However, the rest of the outfield for the Phillies is extremely thin. With Andrew McCutchen and Odubel Herrera being free agents, Philadelphia has a lot of inexperienced options to fill out the rest of the outfield. Adam Haseley, Mickey Moniak, and Luke Williams have 203 MLB games under their belt. The addition of Castellanos would improve an offense that was seventh in the NL in runs scored. The only issue would be whether Harper or Castellanos would be willing to play left field. The pair have played almost exclusively in the right field over the past four seasons. Altogether, Castellanos would help the Phillies in their quest to make it to the postseason for the first time since 2011.
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Players Mentioned:
Eloy Jiménez, Luis Robert, Andrew Vaughn, Gavin Sheets, Adam Engel, Tommy Pham, Trent Grisham, Wil Myers, Jurickson Profar, Bryce Harper, Andrew McCutchen, Odubel Herrera, Adam Haseley, Mickey Moniak, Luke Williams
