Reds sign Castellanos to 4-year, $64M deal
The Cincinnati Reds signed outfielder Nick Castellanos to a four-year, $64-million contract, the club announced Monday.
#Reds officially announce singing of OF Nicholas Castellanos to a 4-year, $64-million deal with a player option for a fifth & opt-outs after 2020 & 2021. Castellanos will make $16 MM in 2020, 2022 & 2023, $14 MM in 2021. $20 MM option in 2024 with $2 MM buyout
— C. トレント・ローズクランズ (@ctrent) January 27, 2020
Due to the signing, Cincinnati is considering trading outfielder Nick Senzel, reports MLB Network's Jon Heyman.
Castellanos hit .289/.337/.525 with 27 home runs, 58 doubles, and 73 RBIs for the Detroit Tigers and Chicago Cubs in 2019.
After arriving in Chicago following a July trade, the 27-year-old slashed .321/.356/.646 with 16 homers, 21 doubles, and 36 RBIs in 51 games.
He's now expected to fill one of the three outfield slots with the Reds, joining a mix of Senzel, Shogo Akiyama, Aristides Aquino, Jesse Winker, and Phillip Ervin.
Defensively, the former third baseman is a below-average outfielder, according to a number of metrics. Castellanos recorded minus-9 defensive runs saved and a minus-5.2 ultimate zone rating in 2019, according to FanGraphs. Additionally, his minus-7 outs above average ranked 78th among all MLB outfielders, according to Baseball Savant.
It's been a busy offseason for the Reds, who've also signed free agents Akiyama, Mike Moustakas, and Wade Miley.
Cincinnati designated outfielder Jose Siri for assignment in order to make room for Castellanos on the 25-man roster, according to C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic.