Washington Nationals: Should The Nats Sign Nick Castellanos?

During the 2010s, the Nationals built their roster around strong solid pitching. Over the years Max Scherzer, Jordan Zimmermann, Gio González, Tanner Roark, Doug Fister, Edwin Jackson, Stephen Strasburg, and Patrick Corbin all helped anchor Washington’s pitching staff.

While the pitching was the focal point, the Nationals were also able to build solid lineups that included the likes of Bryce Harper, Daniel Murphy, Ian Desmond, Anthony Rendon, Trea Turner, Howie Kendrick, Adam LaRouche, Michael Morse, Ryan Zimmerman, and Juan Soto.

Now, just Soto remains to lead a lineup that is in some serious need of reinforcements. If Washington wants to splurge on a bat, they are in luck because the upcoming free agency market is littered with high-end players. Carlos Correa, Kris Bryant, Corey Seager, Trevor Story, Marcus Semien, Javier Báez, and Kyle Schwarber are just a few of the available bats.

Entering this off-season, Washington has holes at short, third, outfield, and in both the rotation and bullpen. Signing an impact bat now and then filling out the rest of the roster with B-Tier free agents may be the way to go. This adds another cornerstone to help build the offense around while showing Juan Soto they aren’t going to wait forever to contend again.

But which bat should the Nationals target? Yesterday it was reported that All-Star Nick Castellanos had opted out of the remainder of his contract and has become a free agent. The Reds could always re-sign their slugger, but if they decided to cut costs, expect them to apply the qualifying offer. He will most likely decline it, meaning the Nationals will have to forfeit a draft pick if they choose to sign him.

Is forfeiting a draft pick in order to sign Castellanos when the team is in the midst of a rebuild worth it?

For starters, Castellanos can instantly be plugged into left field and will be a huge upgrade offensively. Last season he hit .309, with 34 homers, 100 RBIs, and an OPS of .939. He would immediately become the second-best hitter in the lineup and would provide solid protection for Juan Soto.

Defensively, Castellanos is a liability. This past season in rightfield he posted -7 DRS to go with a -1.5 ultimate zone rating (UZR), and seven outfield assists. Surprisingly, he made some improvements in the field, which isn’t saying much. Since switching to rightfield in 2017, he has 24 outfield assists, -47 DRS, and a -19.5 UZR.

It is widely assumed that the new CBA will include a universal DH, which would be a perfect role for the righty. This past season he posted career-highs in homers (34), wRC+ (140), SLG (.576), and OPS (.939). He lowered his strikeout% to 20.7%, which is almost an entire point lower than his career average of 21.6%.

Only 29, the righty could command a four or five-year deal that exceeds $100 million. Entering 2022, Washington only has four players under contract and has plenty of money to work with. In the midst of a rebuild, sacrificing draft picks is a questionable decision. What it comes down to is if the front office believes the team can contend in the near future.

The rotation is in shambles and with so much invested into Stephen Strasburg and Patrick Corbin, those two need to live up to their deals. The team’s top pitching prospects are 1-2 years away from being ready and the bullpen needs to be completely revamped. Washington won’t face another free-agency period of this magnitude for a while and if they have any hopes of jumpstarting this rebuild, they need to add a bat of Castellanos’s caliber now.