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Chicago Cubs: Should they entertain signing Nick Castellanos?
The Chicago Cubs seem to be a place that breathes new life into players. We saw it with Cole Hamels last season. And we see it again with Nicholas Castellanos. Small sample, but should the Cubs take a shot on him next year?
I know what you’re thinking. Typical Chicago Cubs fan, a few good games and they get all up in arms about a player. We have enough outfielders in Chicago. What are we going to do with another one? I’ve heard them all. And sometimes, they are valid. But Nicholas Castellanos might be a little bit different.
For example, the Cubs are 5-2 in his brief time with them. Now, that could also be Joe Maddon and his stellar second-halves his ballclubs churn out. Take your pick. But I will point out that he’s had a hit in every game since he’s come to the Cubs. In fact, his slash line is quite impressive. Castellanos is hitting .379/.400/.690 with a 1.090 OPS. He leads the league in doubles and hasn’t slowed down since he got here.
He has 11 hits, six of them doubles, one home run and six runs scored. He leads the league with 43, five ahead of Rafael Devers from the Red Sox. He’s played mostly third base in his career but has managed the corner outfield spots as well as can be expected.
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So back to my point, should the Cubs sign him in free agency? As I stated, Cubs’ fans get high on a player, (See Albert Almora, Ian Happ, Addison Russell and plenty of others) but they don’t always have staying power. Castellanos has been a spark for this team, in more way than one.
When Jason Heyward took to the leadoff role, Castellanos was acquired and slid into the No. 2 spot. And while Heyward took the leadoff spot, Kyle Schwarber moved down in the lineup. Suddenly, the lineup was clicking. The last seven days, the Cubs are averaging 5.3 runs per game. Is it a coincidence it’s how long Castellanos has been here?
When Cole Hamels came over from Texas, he felt reinvigorated. And he pitched that way, even enough to convince the Cubs to pick up his $25 million option. Castellanos came over from Detroit, which isn’t even winning 30% of their ballgames.
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He’s enjoying baseball again. And how could you not in Chicago? The iconic Wrigley Field. The fans. The ivy-covered walls. Maybe Castellanos is the type of player built for Wrigley Field. And perhaps they should keep him around after this season.