There is little doubt that Nicholas Castellanos and Marcell Ozuna have the most earning power among free-agent outfielders. In MLBTR’s estimation, they’re the only outfielders who look like strong bets to even land $20MM guarantees this winter. We have Castellanos signing for $58MM over four years and Ozuna receiving a three-year, $45MM contract.
Compared to Ozuna, Castellanos has two obvious factors working in his favor: He’s younger (Castellanos will turn 28 in March, while Ozuna’s 29th birthday was on Tuesday) and there’s no qualifying offer weighing him down. The Cardinals, Ozuna’s most recent team, hit him with a $17.8MM QO aftter the season. Assuming he rejects it by Thursday’s deadline, which looks likely, Ozuna’s next club would have to surrender draft compensation to sign him. As for Castellanos, he was part of a trade during the 2019 campaign, going from the Tigers to the Cubs, so he was ineligible to receive a QO this offseason.
Regardless of whom you prefer, both Castellanos and Ozuna figure to draw plenty of interest now that the offseason is underway. The Reds are one team that seems to like both: Already known to have Ozuna on their radar, they’re also eyeing Castellanos, Jon Morosi of MLB.com reports. Either would give the playoff-desperate Reds a much-needed established option in the corner outfield, where the talented but largely unproven Jesse Winker and Aristides Aquino look like their best choices at the moment.
The Reds and Cardinals are two of at least a half-dozen teams open to a deal with Ozuna, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s Derrick Goold, who also names the White Sox and Rangers among the intrigued clubs. The White Sox’s interest isn’t remotely surprising. After all, they’re trying to transition from rebuilding to contending, but doing so will be difficult without significantly improving an outfield that finished dead last in the majors in fWAR (0.9) in 2019, when rookie Eloy Jimenez was their lone bright spot in the grass.
Likewise, the Rangers have one immensely valuable outfield building block (Joey Gallo), but it’s otherwise up in the air who will comprise the unit with him in 2020. Hunter Pence is a free agent (and more of.a designated hitter nowadays); Shin-Soo Choo’s more cut out for a DH role; Nomar Mazara has disappointed and may not even be a Ranger in 2020; Willie Calhoun and Danny Santana don’t have set positions; and Delino DeShields is coming off yet another rough offensive season. All that said, there’s room for Texas to make at least one notable addition in the outfield, and with the team set to christen a new stadium in 2020, perhaps Ozuna will end up as one of its buzzworthy pickups.
You guys really blew it. The Tigers couldn’t get two scuffed balls and a cracked bat for Castellanos while trying to trade him for a year. Everyone said he was overpaid at $9.95 million for a year. Now you’re saying multiple teams want him and he should get $58 million over four years? Were you wrong then, or are you wrong now?
Are you ok? You seem very angry for no reason.
The tigers were not offering to give him away in the spring, they wanted a good trade return which they never got, so they held onto him.
When it’s just money it’s a completely different equation.
Ding ding. Don’t expect ScottCFA to understand that though. He should really be called ScottKnowsFA.
He’s a nut.
Move on…..
The Tigers wanted too much.
Case closed…..
@ScottCFA
Guess what! Multiple teams want him. He will earn much more than 9.95 million per year. Oh and the Tigers did trade him. Oh and not “everyone” said he was overpaid at 9.95m.
I think the criticism on Mazara is a little harsh. 20 hrs (19 in 19) the last 4 years. OPS has increased every year in the league and he’s only 24.
I think the knock on him is that 20 HR’s doesn’t mean much when everyone is hitting them. He’s hovered around a .320 OBP his entire career, which just isn’t good enough. Nearly 2000 AB’s, less than 2 bWAR total, and little to no improvement year on year. OPS is going up across the league, so he’s not excelling.
OPS+ below average every year… my 68 year old grandpa may be able to out run him… some of the worst defense in the outfield I’ve seen in years.
I’d say the criticism is too light, but that’s just me.
You’re young I
Maz is a dud…..
Whoever signs Castellanos for that kind of $$ will regret it a year into that contract.
He might be #2 on my list of expected FA disappointments. I’m guessing that this year will set a record for most disappointments.
Ozuna is a weird dude personality wise.. His hitting is streaky but when he is on he can mash. His defense is below average as is his arm and sometimes embarrassing.
Everybody is talking to everybody!
I have an idea. In the next CBA, there is no arbitration, players get service time (even one day), for playing in a year, and players get free agency after 5 years. Or 4 years. No more 7 (stretched years!). Let’s negotiate!
Well jorge you are not offering the owners anything do its not a negotiation and you will never get it.
I have an idea in the next CBA players have to play 162 games to get one year of service time and players get free agency after 10 years. No more 6 year bs. And no arbitration.
Ok there is the counter offer. Now lets negotiate.
It’s Eloy Jimenez “…on the grass…”
unless you want to bury him , Conner…..
No. No it’s not.
Texas should ship their not so old stadium to Oakland. But the time it made it through all the red tape the A’s could play there in 2045.
Ha! That made me chuckle. Well done
Detroit knew this guy is one dimensional player no where near a 58 million dollar player . Inflated wind blown home runs and a glove with a hole in it makes fit a risky signing.
Reds eyeing Both, Wow. Cincinnati looking like big spenders this winter!
Someone tell the Reds they dont have the DH in the NL.
Guys like Ozuna getting the QO is what’s really wrong with that system. No one should even consider giving up a pick for him, but if he accepts he’ll be another year on the wrong side of 30 when he’s on the market again. And on a projection of 3/45, the QO money is basically exactly what he’s worth next year so it’s no big deal to the cards if he accepts
I would love to see Ozuna and Castellanos in the same outfield. I haven’t been to the circus in years.
Always liked Castellanos ever since I saw him first play in West Michigan. Yes, his defense is not great, but in a smaller park than Comerica, he should be able to hold his own. That defense will drag his value down for sure, but his bat is strong enough that there should be several teams that could use his services.
Castellanos would really be a good fit in Cincy. His bat would play very well there. As for his defense, it’s a smaller park so you could hide his deficiencies a little easier. Plus, if you’re a metrics guy, the numbers say he improved last yr.
Position players can only bat once every 9 team PA’s.
But defenders can field more then one every 9 balls hit.
Ozuna is a bad defender. Castellanos is a butcher. Hitters go to RF a lot when facing Castellanos, and baserunners almost always get one or two extra bases on balls falling in his area.
Defense matters. As the old saying goes, the ball will find you.
Calling Castellanos an outfielder is a stretch to say the least.
I’m an Indians fan so I’ve seen him play quite a bit and he may be the worst defensive outfielder I’ve seen since Mel Hall, although he did improve a bit last year
He’s also a very streaky hitter,he typically gets hot as heck for a two month period and then he’s a pretty easy out the rest of the season.
If I’m a GM I’m viewing this guy as a DH/back up outfielder only and paying him accordingly.
As an indians fan you should then know he’s a career .313 hitter at Progressive field with a .861 OPS. He’s #6 in hits over the past 3 years, so that fact you consider him an “easy out” is laughable.
hoping the Reds pass on both.. I think Calhoun is a much more solid pickup as far as OF goes
White Sox need to stay away from Castellanos.
He is a butcher in the field, and does not really help the glut they have of guys who have to hit to generate a high OBP.
He and Jimenez in the corners would be an absolute nightmare defensively.
If they signed him, with the intention of moving him to DH or 1B, I might be convinced.
DH should be the only consideration.