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San Diego Padres: Who is in the mix for a corner outfield position?

By Thomas Conroy

Sep 27, 2021; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Reds right fielder Nick Castellanos (2) watches hitting a sacrifice fly against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the first inning at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: David Kohl-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 27, 2021; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Reds right fielder Nick Castellanos (2) watches hitting a sacrifice fly against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the first inning at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: David Kohl-USA TODAY Sports /
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Could Nick Castellanos make sense for the Philadelphia Phillies?
Cincinnati Reds right fielder Nick Castellanos (2) walks through the dugout after hitting a sacrifice fly to score Jonathan India in the fourth inning of the MLB National League game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Pittsburgh Pirates at Great American Ball Park in downtown Cincinnati on Monday, Sept. 27, 2021. The Reds led 8-1 in the top of the sixth inning. /

The offseason is an exciting time of the year for San Diego Padres fans. Usually, Padres general manager A.J. Preller is attempting to reload rather than rebuild the roster for the coming season. And 2022 will not be the exception.

The San Diego Padres clinched a postseason berth in 2020 but were a major disappointment in 2021. Changes to the starting nine are coming. Left fielder Tommy Pham is a free agent. The Padres are not expected to make a contract offer to him. It is not impossible to believe that Preller has done his work to identify several hard-hitting outfielders as possible replacements for Pham.

Let’s take a look at those outfield options for the San Diego Padres

Nick Castellanos, Cincinnati Reds

One of the major flaws for the 2021 Padres was their inability to score runs. In 2020, the Friars averaged 5.35 runs per game. However, it was a different story in 2021. The Padres averaged 4.50 runs per game for the season, but only 2.33 runs in the last three months of the campaign.

The chief problem was hitting (.235) with runners in scoring position. The Friars stranded 3.64 runners in scoring position per game, which ranked them near the bottom (28th) in the majors. The addition of Nick Castellanos would bring a proven run producer to the batting lineup.

He will not come cheap as Castellanos is expected to receive a nine-figure free-agent contract deal this offseason. Interest grew after his career year with the Cincinnati Reds in 2021.

Castellanos batted .309 with 41 home runs, 95 runs scored, and 100 runs batted in. The slugger showed to be a far better all-around hitter than your typical home run hitter. He posted the lowest strikeout (20.7%) ratio of his career.

Some may object to the signing of Castellanos because the Padres would be adding another right-handed hitter to the lineup. The move creates a righty-heavy batting order that is susceptible to left-handed pitching.

However, Castellanos splits against righty and lefty pitching dispels that notion. He batted .310 versus right-handers and .306 against left-handers. The data will force opposing teams to play a more traditional defensive set than an exaggerated shift against him.

The other drawback is not so easy to resolve. Castellanos’ glove is a concern as he does not have much range in the outfield. The Padres might be forced to move Wil Myers to left field and use Castellanos in right field. Defensively, it is their only logical move as right field in Petco Park offers less ground to cover for a defender.

It is a guarantee that the Friars will not stand pat following the conclusion of the lockout. The win-now mentality might force Preller to add another big-money contract to the ledger. If so, then Castellanos will be atop their wish list.

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