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Chicago Cubs: 5 Outfielders to Target in Free Agency – #1: Nick Castellanos
Landing at #1, we have Cubs fan favorite Nick Castellanos. Castellanos is currently on a four-year deal with the Reds worth $64 million but the overwhelming belief in the game is that he’s set to capitalize on his monster showing this year and opt-out in search of a better deal.
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As everybody remembers, Castellanos spent the second half of 2019 with the Chicago Cubs and absolutely crushed the baseball. Many will say he never should have left in the first place.
During his time in Chicago, he batted .321/.356/.646 with 16 long-balls and 36 driven in (and don’t sleep on his 21 doubles in 51 games, either). It seemed like every night he was driving the ball into the gap as he led the league in two-baggers that year with 58 on the season. The slugger has pretty much been a beast his whole career, batting .278/.329/.481. Castellanos has really broken out this year, batting .318/.376/.565 with 22 home runs and 70 RBI, earning an All-Star nod in the process.
As for Wrigley Field in general, we’ve already seen what he can do while in a Cubs uniform. Regardless, his slash line at the Friendly Confines is his best at any ballpark in the league, sitting at a ridiculous .375/.415/.737 with an 1.151 OPS in a solid sample of 152 at-bats.
Those numbers are no fluke. The guy is an MVP-caliber presence when he digs in on the North Side. The other thing, he openly stated he loved his time he spent in Chicago and loved the fans. If he opts out – which seems more likely with each passing day – Tom Ricketts and Jed Hoyer need to immediately do what it takes to bring him home. This is a no-brainer.