The Detroit Tigers may end up listening to offers for outfielder Nicholas Castellanos sooner rather than later and the Cleveland Indians should at least inquire about his availability
To put it lightly the Cleveland Indians need outfield help. The team needs to address those issues via free agency or through the trade market. With the Detroit Tigers possibly listening to offers for outfielder Nicholas Castellanos, this could be an avenue to improve the Cleveland outfield.
Castellanos is a free agent after the 2019 season and is due to make just under $10 million. Detroit is reportedly looking for a quality prospect for Castellanos despite his issues defensively. After spending some time at third base Castellanos made a move to right field during the 2017 season. Since that move Castellanos has been quite effective with a bat in his hand. Castellanos’ slash line in 2018 was .298/.354/.500 with an OPS of .854. With 23 home runs, 46 doubles, five triples, 89 runs batted in and scoring 88 times, Castellanos was the lone bright spot for an offensively challenged Tigers lineup.
Acquiring Castellanos may be a bit difficult for the Indians. Teams are usually hesitant to make trades with division rivals. While Detroit and Cleveland did agree to a deal that sent Leonys Martin to the Indians, there is a distinct difference from Martin and Castellanos. Add in the fact that Detroit may ask for even more to send him to a division rival. It does not hurt to at least ask, that is the first step into potentially improving their roster.
It appears that Castellanos may not finish the year in Detroit. If Cleveland can somehow acquire his services that would be a massive upgrade for their outfield. As of now the current Indians outfielders do not necessarily strike fear into an opponent. A trade for Castellanos changes that and makes Cleveland a more legitimate contender this upcoming season.
