Detroit Tigers slugger Nicholas Castellanos is just a couple of years away from free agency. Will he stay with the Tigers through the rebuild, or might he too be traded at some point?
Back in 2010, the Detroit Tigers drafted Nicholas Castellanos in the first round out of high school. He first made his MLB debut in 2013 and became a regular the following year. Over the past two seasons, Castellanos’ bat has begun to come around.
Back in 2016, Castellanos hit .285/.331/.496 (120 OPS+) with 18 home runs and 58 RBI. His numbers could have been even more impressive had he not suffered a broken hand in August.
Castellanos got off to a bit of a slow start last season but came on strong in the second half. He finished the season with a slash line of .272/.320/.490 (110 OPS+). He also achieved a career-best 26 home runs and 101 RBI.
At the end of last season, Castellanos made the switch to right field after several years of shaky defense at third base. Since the beginning of the 2014 season, Castellanos had -64 Defensive Runs Saved at the hot corner.
Though the sample size was admittedly small, Castellanos’ metrics weren’t great in the outfield last season either. Through 173 innings, he had minus-seven defensive runs saved and a -80.5 UZR/150.
Extension candidate?
With the Tigers clearly in rebuild mode, it will be interesting to see how Castellanos fits into the team’s long-term plans. He will turn 26 years old in March and still has his prime years ahead of him. Castellanos is under team control for just the next two seasons.
According to Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press, the Detroit Tigers expressed interest in an extension with Castellanos last season. Per Fenech, GM Al Avila said that the discussions did not progress. The two sides have reportedly not resumed talks this offseason. Per Jason Beck of MLB.com, a deal appears unlikely to come together at the current moment.
Over the past two seasons, Castellanos has been worth 3.5 fWAR. Obviously, he has provided most of his value with his offense. If right field doesn’t work out, it is also worth noting that designated hitter Victor Martinez is entering the final season of his contract.
If Castellanos stays with the Tigers for the long haul, perhaps it is possible that he and Miguel Cabrera could end up splitting the first base and DH duties.
Could he be traded?
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On the other hand, it has also been speculated that Castellanos could be a potential trade chip for the Tigers as well.
Chris McCosky of the Detroit News recently reported that Avila would “listen” to offers regarding Castellanos, but noted that none had materialized thus far.
McCosky further stated that Castellanos is penciled in as the starting right fielder going into 2018, per Avila.
The Tigers are not expected to contend for a while. Where a deal seems unlikely to come together this offseason, it’s entirely possible that Castellanos’ name could be mentioned in trade rumors again shortly. One can imagine that he could draw interest from teams next summer.
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If Castellanos remains in Detroit through 2018, the Tigers could find themselves in an unusual situation next winter as well.
The Detroit Tigers could be faced with a decision to either trade Castellanos and load up on more prospects, or try to extend him and make him a cornerstone of their team for the future.
Of course, both paths could potentially make sense. Right now, though, it is tough to guess which direction they will ultimately want to go in.