Eventually the Marlins will have to spend *SOME* money, right? They do have some young talent percolating up, and so, yeah, maybe they will try to add a quality free agent or two this offseason?
Still, it kinda makes me chuckle a little to think about the Marlins being able to pull off a successful run at Nick Castellanos, specifically.
From Joe Frisaro on the Marlins’ plans:
It doesn’t necessarily mean the Marlins would shy away from a free-agent slugger like Nicholas Castellanos, a corner outfielder who doesn’t grade out well defensively.
Miami is believed to be interested in Castellanos, a South Florida native, who is a legitimate middle-of-the-order threat. He came up with the Tigers at third base, but he is more likely to be a corner outfielder, if he signs with the Marlins.
In fact, having a fifth player off the bench gives the club flexibility to add a power threat like Castellanos, while having the depth to replace him defensively in the late innings.
(Note that the national narrative about Castellanos is still entirely framed about whether he can successfully play corner outfield defense, which I’m not so sure isn’t overstated a bit.)
I suppose you have the geographic connection there, so it’s not entirely crazy to think the Marlins might be able to make a push. But the vibe you got from Castellanos in his time with the Cubs, and when asked if he wanted to stick around past this year, is that he’s all about competing. The guy spent so many down years in Detroit, found himself reinvigorated with the Cubs in a playoff race, and he’s now able to choose his next destination. Winning is going to be a priority for him.
Don’t get me wrong: I’m not going to bet that any free agent takes significantly less money to sign with a winner. But if the Marlins truly want a shot at Castellanos, they will not only have to be at the top of the market, but they’d also have to sell Castellanos – or other impactful free agents – on the idea that they are ready to compete immediately in a very good NL East.
As for the Cubs and Castellanos, it’s still a bit of a waiting game. There is mutual interest in a reunion, but I suspect the Cubs are going to want to see how they can maneuver the roster a bit before seriously engaging, and there is also the matter of Castellanos’ valuation having a huge range of possibilities.