Detroit Tigers: Five possible landing spots for Nick Castellanos

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As the Detroit Tigers continue forth with a rebuild, they’ll most certainly be sellers at the deadline. That being said, who could be potential suitors for Nick Castellanos?

As we lumber towards the trade deadline, we start to see a lot of familiar patterns emerge. Basement dwelling teams like the Detroit Tigers dangle their marquee stars, but everyone knows that ultimately, relievers, prospects, and cash will be the commodities changing hands most often.

The aforementioned Tigers certainly have some relief to sell in the way of Shane Greene or Joe Jimenez, but their most interesting trade chip maybe their young right fielder, Nick Castellanos.

Originally the team’s third baseman, he made his way to the outfield. According to FanGraphs, the switch hasn’t exactly been an easy one defensively, but nonetheless, he continues to hit at a solid pace.

So what would a team really be getting if they were to trade for Castellanos? Let’s take a look at his resume:

2019 season line: .280/.339/.467
33 doubles leads American League
111 wRC+ (Weighted Runs Created PLUS)
-7 dRS (Defensive Runs Saved)

So the summary here is a pretty decent hitting outfielder with some power potential that might be a bit of a liability in the field. He’s got a long way to go defensively but has made some improvements.

Not a lot of home runs (10 this season) but he has a track record for hitting for power in past seasons (26 and 23 the last two seasons), but the doubles can lead you to believe that power could be coming shortly. He’s 27 years old and due to hit free agency at seasons end.

So who are some possible suitors for him?

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Detroit Tigers: Trade Options for Nick Castellanos

Oakland A’s

Billy Beane is always looking for value, and Castellanos just might be the answer. Outside of Roman Laureano’s breakout season, the A’s outfield hasn’t been able to produce much at the plate.

Detroit Tigers outfielder Nick Castellanos would be an obvious offensive upgrade over Chad Pinder and isn’t that much worse in the field than Stephen Piscotty (who is worth 1 dRS). He wouldn’t cost that much and would be a prime candidate for an extension with the A’s if he continues to play as well as he has in the past.

On the other hand, Beane has hinted that he’s content with his current lineup and may gear more towards pitching as the deadline approaches, but ya know… even best-laid plans, right?

The Atlanta Braves

With a glut of options currently in their outfield, and a pretty strong bench to compliment, the Braves don’t seem like an obvious fit for a bat-first outfielder, especially with fan-favorite Nick Markakis currently occupying the starting role, and gold glover Ender Inciarte losing playing time to newcomer Austin Riley.

That being said, with the Braves looking to be buyers at the deadline, it’s not unthinkable that someone like Inciarte could be on the move, and Riley’s recent struggles warrant another stint at AAA, thus opening a space for a right-handed bat to fit in the lineup.

The Braves have been linked to Castellanos as recently as Friday, so there’s obvious interest, but most likely an “if this piece moves, then this deal happens” type of scenario.

Detroit Tigers: Trade Options for Nick Castellanos

Chicago Cubs

I don’t think anyone’s really sure what to make of the Cubs outfield right now. Has Jason Heyward really found his stroke again? Is Kyle Schwarber really what they think he is? What about Albert Almora Jr, or putting Kris Bryant out there?

Way more questions than answers right now and Detroit Tigers OF Nick Castellanos could provide some stability for a team that could really use some.

The hardest part of a deal here could actually be on the Cubs end of things since they have so little to offer in the way of prospects, thanks to a largely barren farm system. Whatever deal they work out, one can bet that Chicago would ideally be looking for more than a rental, and it will cost them some major league talent to get him. T

hey have also been credibly linked to him this weekend, so this could be an interesting deal on the horizon.

The Cleveland Indians

Does anyone really know what the Indians are going to do?

They possess the most precious commodity this deadline (lots of pitching) but are currently just 3-games behind the Twins, and in possession of a Wild Card spot in the American League.

Early in the season, they seemed like obvious sellers, but it could also make sense for them to be buyers, and Castellanos could be a perfect fit.

The Indians outfield has been anemic offensively, ranking 22nd in outfielder WAR, and producing only a 90 wRC+, so Castellanos would be a pretty obvious upgrade here. They also possess the advantage of being in the AL, and have the option of DHing him, thus negating a bit of the defensive liability.

The Indians have a richer farm system than the Cubs, and the DH option could make them one of the most logical spots for Nick.

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Detroit Tigers: Trade Options for Nick Castellanos

Tampa Bay Rays

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The Tampa Bay Rays continue to confound the baseball establishment, coming off a 90 win season in the (arguably) toughest division in baseball, and fighting for a playoff spot again this year.

They have been sneaky in trade talks in previous years, snagging Pittsburgh Pirates prospects Tyler Glasnow and Austin Meadows last year, both to positive results.

They possess a strong farm system, and given their creativity with the lineup card, if any team could find a space for Detroit Tigers outfielder Nick Castellanos, this would be it.

He would be a great boost to the lineup, and they have tons of pitching to trade, both at the Major League level and also in the minors. Cost is always an issue, however, and one has to assume that while Castellanos is a value at just under $10MM this season, their ability to keep him further than that will be a factor.

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So, which teams do you think could use Nick Castellanos services? And will they be willing to give up enough pieces to make the deal attractive to both parties?

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