It appeared to be a perfect match. The Miami Marlins were looking to upgrade their lineup and overhaul their offense during the offseason. Meanwhile, Nick Castellanos, a south Florida native, happened to be a free agent. It was a deal that needed to happen.
For his part, it was a deal that Castellanos expected. He told Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald that, until Derek Jeter left the Marlins, he had expected to sign in Miami. Jeter clearly wanted him in the lineup as Castellanos would have been a perfect fit.
Nick Castellanos was a pipe dream for Miami Marlins
But that does not mean it was going to happen. Craig Mish stated that the Marlins were never going to sign Castellanos, no matter what he and Jeter had thought. In fact, he went on to further state that the Marlins’ original plan was to trade for a center fielder, and when that failed to happen, they went to their next option.
This does not mean that the Marlins did nothing. They did sign Avisail Garcia and Jorge Soler in an attempt to add more juice to the lineup. Jacob Stallings and Joey Wendle were acquired in trades to help improve their depth and shore up the catcher position.
But they needed more. It was fair to wonder if Garcia and Soler were the right pieces when they were signed. Garcia is an imperfect fit in center, no matter what the Marlins would want anyone to believe, while Soler is extremely inconsistent.
Castellanos could have been the answer. He could have been what the Marlins needed to improve their lineup to the point where they would be a viable contender. But that was never going to happen, no matter what Jeter and Castellanos may have thought.
Nick Castellanos made perfect sense for the Miami Marlins. Unfortunately, the Marlins were never going to pony up the cash to sign him.