A Nick Castellanos opt-out gives Chicago Cubs a chance to right a wrong

Baseball’s worst-kept secret is once again making the rounds. Cincinnati Reds outfielder Nick Castellanos is ‘likely’ to opt out of the remaining two years on his deal this winter, meaning he’ll receive a qualifying offer, reject it immediately and then hit the open market – giving the Chicago Cubs a prime opportunity to right an egregious wrong this winter.

Minutes before the 2019 trade deadline, Chicago landed Castellanos to address the Cubs’ woeful performance against left-handed pitching. Even playing for lackluster Detroit teams, the outfielder had always hit southpaws well and he continued that trend after joining the Cubs, putting together a ridiculous .370/.425/.713 against lefties on the year.

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He immediately endeared himself to Cubs fans, playing with an all-out mentality and tireless energy that the core had lacked for some time. The on-field results speak for themselves – but nonetheless, Chicago failed to re-sign him that winter and he went on to sign that four-year, $60 million deal with the division rival Reds.

Since then, Castellanos has basically put up a .900 OPS against his former team, constantly making us all wonder ‘what might have been’ had the Cubs ponied up the cash to keep his presence in the lineup both in 2020 and this year. The 2021 season may very well have had a very different feel with his bat in the mix.

But the good news is that, following the massive sell-off we bore witness to last month, the financial resources will be there this winter if the Cubs decide to pursue Castellanos in free agency. A lack of payroll flexibility will absolutely not be an excuse for an ownership group and front office that’s adopted many of the practices as well as the mindset of a small-market organization of late.

You can’t sell a losing Chicago Cubs team to Nick Castellanos

He won’t come cheap. Nor should he. This season with Cincinnati, Castellanos earned the first All-Star nod of his career and, should things hold, he’ll bring home a batting title at year’s end, as well. Entering action Thursday, the veteran outfielder is batting .320/.377/.571 – as he continues to not only hit the ball out of the yard, but spray doubles into the gaps with great regularity.

Castellanos turns 30 next March, so even going to a five or six-year deal isn’t going to handicap the team by the final year of the contract. With the designated hitter likely to arrive in the NL next season, as well, the Cubs – and other teams – might even be tempted to tack on more length to set themselves apart, knowing they can DH him should that need ever arise.

One thing’s for sure: if the Cubs don’t actually have a plan in place to turn this thing around in short order, Castellanos will want no part of coming back. He’s endured his share of losing in his career and has made it abundantly clear he wants to win. Consider this just one more reason Chicago should prioritize getting back to contending as soon as possible – otherwise, they’ll wind up making the same mistake twice.