Nick Castellanos has a decision to make this offseason. He has the ability to opt-out of the final two seasons of his contract with the Cincinnati Reds, leaving a guaranteed $34 million on the table. While this may seem to be an easy decision to make given his production, uncertainty surrounding the new Collective Bargaining Agreement could be enough to give Castellanos pause.
It seems as though that concern did not make too much of a difference. According to Jon Heyman, Castellanos will opt out of those final two seasons, re-entering free agency and looking for a more lucrative deal this offseason.
Nick Castellanos will obviously opt out of his deal with $34M and 2 years to go. Still only 29, he posted a .939 OPS for the Reds this year. The Reds do have interest in retaining him following his All-Star season.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) October 20, 2021
Time for the Cincinnati Reds to say goodbye to Nick Castellanos
It is not a given that he will leave Cincinnati. The Reds also reportedly want to keep him, and as they have designs on contending in the NL Central, keeping him in town would go a long way towards making that happen.
But it is a matter of realism. Several teams are looking to drastically upgrade their lineups and have money to spend. Castellanos, who produced a .309/.362/.576 batting line with 34 homers and 38 doubles in his 585 plate appearances, would certainly make an impact.
It could also come down to the length of the contract, not just the dollar amount. Although he has nine years in the majors, he turns 30 years old in March. Castellanos is still in his prime, potentially increasing the types of offers that he would receive in free agency.
This creates a perfect storm when it comes to his leaving Cincinnati behind. While the Reds have spent at a respectable rate over the past few years, they simply cannot hand Castellanos the type of contract he will command. The Reds have too many holes to spend that type of money on one player.
Nick Castellanos is reportedly set to exercise the opt-out clause on his contract. It is time for the Cincinnati Reds to say goodbye.