This is the last in a series of 10 position-by-position analyses of the Cubs after the 2019 season.
Read them all: Starting pitching | Relief pitching | Catcher | First base | Second base | Shortstop | Third base | Left field | Center field
1. Will the Cubs be able to re-sign Nicholas Castellanos?
The timing could not be more perfect for Castellanos to reach free agency. He batted .321 in 51 games with the Cubs with 37 extra-base hits, 36 RBIs, a .356 on-base percentage and a 1.002 OPS. For the season, he hit a major-league-high 58 doubles and a career-high 27 home runs in 151 games with the Tigers and Cubs.
Castellanos, 27, would be an ideal fit with the White Sox, who have plenty of cash available to sign a seasoned hitter and at least one front-line starting pitcher, or with the offense-needy Giants.
“He’s not in a bad spot,” agent Scott Boras said with a smile last month. “He’s the youngest free agent and he doesn’t have a qualifying offer. So I would say he’s in position to be optimally observed because he fits the MO of any team — whether you’re a rebuilding team because of his age or whether you’re a club that is close to winning and wants to win or an existing top ‘A’ club that’s going to compete for the World Series. He’s one of those guys who fits all clubs.”
Boras said Castellanos’ age is a “big factor” when comparing him with J.D. Martinez, who was 30 when he signed a five-year, $110 million contract with the Red Sox after the 2017 season. Martinez can opt out of that deal now or after 2020.
It’s highly unlikely Castellanos will come close to getting Martinez’s annual value, but his youth will help him earn a multiyear contract at a robust salary.
2. Why is Nicholas Castellanos a perfect fit for the Cubs?
Castellanos helped shore up a team deficiency by batting .417 (15-for-36) against left-handers after joining the Cubs. And he batted .340 with a .994 OPS overall against finesse pitchers, according to Baseball Reference. That’s important considering the Cubs saw fewer fastballs, according to President Theo Epstein, because of their struggles to make consistent contact.
Castellanos provided more than production at the plate during his two-month stint with the Cubs. He brought a sense of urgency that had been lacking since the second half of 2018.
Boras spoke of Castellanos’ “bold intensity … where his directness about his evaluation is very honest and forthright.”
“He really likes to win, and he also understands the routine of the game and loves to play it,” Boras said. “So he wants to get better at it all the time. He just enjoys information a lot.”
Castellanos has been durable, playing at least 151 games in each of the last three seasons.
“He plays with a lot of passion and professionalism, a team-oriented approach,” Epstein said. “We love the way he plays the game, and we’d love to have him back. It’s a more complicated issue than we’d love to have him back. He’s worked long and hard to become a free agent.”
3. How much of a liability is Nicholas Castellanos’ defense?
Castellanos had minus-9 defensive runs saved in right field, according to the Fielding Bible, but he was minus-19 with the Tigers. His Ultimate Zone Rating improved after the trade from minus-12.9 to minus-4.4.
Former Cubs manager Joe Maddon said Castellanos played deeper at Wrigley Field to have a better chance of catching balls hit to the gap in right-center, and the move seemed to work.
Boras pointed out that Castellanos was a full-time third baseman until 2018.
“Now he’s in the top 12 to 13 among right fielders,” Boras said. “He’s getting better each year because he’s never played the outfield before, and he’s getting accustomed to doing it at the major-league level.
“The reality of it is you have to be a very, very good athlete to play in the big leagues at third base for that long. To move into the outfield and do that, he’s very adjustable.”
4. What becomes of Jason Heyward if Nicholas Castellanos re-signs with the Cubs?
There’s a reasonable chance Castellanos would move to left field, pending a trade of Kyle Schwarber. That would make room for Heyward to return to right, where he won four consecutive Gold Glove Awards (2014-17).
Heyward started 41 games in center field after Castellanos arrived, occasionally shifting to right late in games for defensive purposes.
Heyward was saddled with leadoff duties through most of August and batted .147 with a .252 on-base percentage from the top spot. He had a slash line of .215/.325/.371 as a center fielder, compared with .289/.362/.488 while playing right.
If Castellanos signs elsewhere, Heyward likely would return to right with Ian Happ and Albert Almora Jr. in center unless either or both are traded.
