A Cubs reunion with a wildly popular trade deadline addition would be disastrous

Few trade deadline acquisitions in recent memory felt more impactful than Nick Castellanos. The Chicago Cubs snuck the deal in just ahead of the trade deadline in July 2019, sending prospects Paul Richan and Alex Lange to the Detroit Tigers in exchange for the slugging outfielder.

Castellanos endeared himself to Cubs fans immediately, going on an otherworldly tear after coming to Chicago, delivering exactly what the team had hoped he would when making the move: impressive slug and the ability to crush left-handed pitching. In just 51 games, Castellanos delivered 1.7 bWAR, slashing .321/.356/.646 in 225 plate appearances.

A free agent at year's end, he wound up signing a four-year, $64 million deal with the Cincinnati Reds - but played just two seasons with the team, opting out following the 2021 season and eventually signing a five-year, $100 million pact with the Philadelphia Phillies that runs through 2026. The deal might have one more year left on it, but after Dave Dombrowski signed Adolis Garcia to a one-year deal, the message is clear: one way or another, Castellanos will call a new city home next season.

Nick Castellanos wore out his welcome in Philadelphia after four years

Multiple reports of conflict between Castellanos and the club over his role, not to mention poor defense in the outfield, last season didn't exactly help his case, either. Given Cubs' fans tendency to throw on the graduation goggles and wax poetic over players from yesteryear, though, it felt prudent to shut any thoughts of a Castellanos reunion down right now - because it doesn't line up.

Castellanos is a near-unusable outfielder defensively. If you're someone who has issues with Seiya Suzuki being in right field, Castellanos would keep you up at night, drenched in a cold sweat. Acquiring Castellanos and locking him into the DH role severely limits Craig Counsell's ability to flex the lineup, getting Suzuki out of the outfield and opening up playing time for guys like Owen Caissie. Assuming he's not traded, Moises Ballesteros would have virtually no path to regular at-bats with Castellanos in tow, given he's widely viewed as a designated hitter at this point in his young career.

There are a lot of moving parts to this equation given the Cubs' reported interest in Alex Bregman and the likely chance they package up prospects to go get a starting pitcher on the trade market. Even so, Castellanos isn't what he once was - and there's no serious reason for Chicago to explore reuniting with a player who appears to be in steep decline.