Nick Castellanos

Cubs Interested In Nicholas Castellanos, Shane Greene

By Connor Byrne | July 21, 2019 at 2:55pm CDT

2:45pm: David Kaplan of NBC Sports Chicago adds (via Twitter) that the Cubs have also checked in on Tigers closer Shane Greene. The two teams could pursue a package deal that sends both Greene and Castellanos to Chicago, though as Kaplan notes, the Cubs would have to surrender considerable prospect capital to consummate such an agreement. The aforementioned pair includes two of the Tigers’ most coveted assets, and Detroit will be careful not to be undersold. Greene, unlike Castellanos, is controllable through the 2020 season.

11:01am: The Cubs are among the teams with interest in Tigers right fielder Nicholas Castellanos, per Chris McCosky of the Detroit News. “This one has some teeth,” McCosky adds.

Whether it’s Chicago or another team that acquires Castellanos, he’s a near lock to leave the Motor City by the July 31 trade deadline. The Tigers likely aren’t going to extend the 27-year-old impending free agent, so they figure to get what they can for him. For now, he’s on a $9.95MM salary.

While the Tigers don’t seem to want him around for the long haul, Castellanos is amid his fourth straight quality offensive season with the club. Castellanos has slashed .280/.339/.467 (111 wRC+) with 10 home runs in 404 plate appearances, and has posted a formidable .887 OPS over the past 30 days.

There’s little question Castellanos has value at the dish, but the same isn’t true of his work as a defender. And if he goes to the Cubs, he won’t be able to slot in as a designated hitter. Castellanos has combined for minus-33 Defensive Runs Saved and a minus-24.6 Ultimate Zone Rating since moving from third base to right in 2017. He’s at minus-7 and minus-4.0 in those categories this year.

For the Cubs, acquiring Castellanos would likely mean moving bounce-back right fielder Jason Heyward to center, where the Cubs have deployed the light-hitting Albert Almora for most of the season. On the offensive side, a Castellanos pickup would almost surely improve the NL Central-leading Cubs’ outlook against left-handed pitchers, who have held their hitters to a below-average .232/.317/.405/ line. The righty-swinging Castellanos, on the other hand, has been a terror versus southpaws, whom he has crushed to the tune of .377/.451/.639.

AL Notes: Bauer, Castellanos, Pujols, Orioles

By Connor Byrne | July 19, 2019 at 12:25am CDT

Indians right-hander Trevor Bauer turned in a terrific performance Thursday in a win over the Tigers, striking out 10 and yielding three earned runs on five hits and two walks in 6 2/3 innings. Despite Bauer’s importance to the playoff-contending Indians, his name has been frequently bandied about in trade rumors this summer. As a result, Thursday could’ve been one of his last starts as a member of the Tribe. Asked after the game if the rumors have been on his mind, Bauer told Mandy Bell of MLB.com and other reporters: “Nope. Don’t think about it.” Notably, though, Indians president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti did address the team regarding the deadline “to make sure no one was blindsided by any discussions, especially Bauer,” Bell writes.

The Tigers’ Nicholas Castellanos is likely a more realistic trade candidate than Bauer, but the right fielder suggested Thursday he’s not fully convinced a deal will come together before the deadline. Castellanos said (via Chris McCosky of the Detroit News) that “I wouldn’t be shocked if I don’t get traded. Everybody thought I’d get traded last trade deadline. Everybody thought I’d get traded this offseason. There were people who thought I’d get traded in spring training.” With an extension between the non-contending Tigers and Castellanos appearing to be out of the question, it’s highly probable the team will part with him this month unless there’s no interest from elsewhere. Regardless, Castellanos indicated to McCosky that he has made peace with whatever happens and is more focused on what happens on the field, where he has been on an offensive tear of late.
Angels first baseman Albert Pujols exited the team’s game Thursday with left hamstring tightness, Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register was among those to report (Twitter links). It doesn’t seem like an issue that’s going to lead to an IL stint, though, as manager Brad Ausmus said afterward Pujols will miss a small amount of time or none at all. The Hall of Fame-bound 39-year-old has appeared in 76 games this season and hit .243/.306/.439 (96 wRC+) with 14 home runs in 314 plate appearances.
Thursday was the one-year anniversary of the Orioles-Dodgers blockbuster that sent former O’s franchise player Manny Machado to Los Angeles. Jon Meoli of the Baltimore Sun revisits the swap in a piece focusing on outfield prospect Yusniel Diaz, the headlining part of the Orioles’ five-player return. Diaz didn’t log great production with Baltimore’s Double-A affiliate after the trade last year, and he told Meoli via an interpreter he felt “a lot of pressure” trying to make good on the trade. That pressure has died down, though, and Diaz is now having a better season than last as a member of the Orioles’ Double-A affiliate. The 22-year-old has progressed with the help of Double-A hitting coach Keith Bodie, as Meoli details in his piece.

Tigers, Nicholas Castellanos Expected Extension In Spring

By Connor Byrne | July 12, 2019 at 1:38am CDT

It doesn’t appear Tigers right fielder Nicholas Castellanos is going to get a contract extension before the July 31 trade deadline, which means the impending free agent is likely to find himself in another uniform by Aug. 1. Castellanos said in March, a few weeks before the season started, that he and the Tigers hadn’t engaged in extension talks. That may have been true at the time, but it turns out the two sides regarded a new contract as “likely” for a short period in the spring, Chris McCosky of the Detroit News reports.

The length and value of the extension the Tigers and Castellanos thought they’d strike are unknown, but it was the team that “pulled back,” per McCosky. Castellanos hired the Boras Corporation to represent him April 19, and it doesn’t seem as if the Tigers and the agency have had any meaningful talks since then.

Considering Detroit made a spirited effort to trade Castellanos in the offseason, it’s not surprising the rebuilding club was reluctant to pull the trigger on an extension in the spring. Castellanos’ previous agent even publicly stated in January that his client would prefer a trade, though general manager Al Avila couldn’t net an offer to his liking. Avila admitted then that trying to find a taker for Castellanos had been “frustrating.”

Seven months later, the frustration has likely persisted for Avila in regards to Castellanos. The 27-year-old’s offense has gotten rolling of late after a slow start to the season, but he hasn’t done much to boost his trade stock. Castellanos is a good hitter who doesn’t offer much in the field, which has been the case since he broke out at the plate in 2016. Through 366 plate appearances this season, Castellanos has slashed .282/.342/.468 (113 wRC+) with nine home runs. Notably, there’s almost almost no gap between his weighted on-base average (.344) and expected wOBA (.346).

Diligent work to improve as an outfielder actually has paid off to a degree for Castellanos, though he has still only managed minus-5 Defensive Runs Saved, minus-5 Outs Above Average and a minus-4.0 Ultimate Zone Rating in the grass in 2019. The former third baseman’s best fit, at least if a playoff-contending team acquires him for the stretch run, may be as a designated hitter. The trouble is that Castellanos’ output this year hasn’t been much better than that of an average DH (110 wRC+).

Given his flaws, Castellanos is unlikely to fetch much for the Tigers prior to the deadline. Assuming a trade does come together, though, Castellanos will be on track to reach free agency after the season with zero chance of a qualifying offer hurting his earning power. Once he hits the open market, Castellanos will try to build on the $9.95MM he’s making this season.

Nicholas Castellanos Not Expecting Extension Offer

By Connor Byrne | June 14, 2019 at 11:11pm CDT

With the July 31 deadline around the corner and the Tigers out of contention, soon-to-be free-agent right fielder Nicholas Castellanos ranks among their clearest trade chips. Castellanos’ Tigers tenure may end in a matter of weeks, which he seems to realize.

The 27-year-old Castellanos was candid Friday when speaking about his future with reporters (including Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic and Evan Woodbery of MLive.com). Asked if he expects the Tigers to make an effort to extend him this season, Castellanos stated: “I don’t have a college education. But I can pick up the pieces and put a puzzle together. I’m not saying that this is 100% what it’s going to be, but if I’m a gambling man, I don’t see (the Tigers) offering me an extension at this point in time.”

Castellanos, a career-long Tiger who joined the franchise as the 44th pick in the 2010 draft, has surpassed the fading Miguel Cabrera as the team’s biggest offensive threat in recent years. Dating back to his 2016 breakout, Castellanos has slashed .282/.333/.489 (118 wRC+) with 74 home runs in 2,068 plate appearances. But Castellanos hasn’t matched his above-average offense with appealing defense, which is surely a key reason why rebuilding Detroit isn’t interested in keeping him around for the long haul. Castellanos’ defensive limitations will also prove deleterious on the trade market, where the Tigers may not get much for him, and when he hits free agency in the offseason.

Castellanos was a third baseman at the outset of his major league career, but after posting minus-64 Defensive Runs Saved at the hot corner from 2014-17, the Tigers moved him to the outfield. That experiment hasn’t gone well either, as Castellanos has added another minus-30 DRS in fewer than 2,000 innings of action. In fairness to Castellanos, his 2019 defensive numbers – while still not in the plus category – far outweigh last year’s brutal output.

Eventually, Castellanos may be a candidate to shift to first base. He rejected a move there late in 2018 when the Tigers requested it, as Woodbery notes, but would have been willing to make the switch had they tried to extend him.

“I told them, if you offer me an extension and show me that I’m a piece of the future, I’ll play first,” he said. “I’ll even throw bullpens for you. But give me that security.”

It’s clear Castellanos isn’t going to receive the “security” he’s seeking from the Tigers. His run in Detroit figures to conclude this summer as a result.

Report: Tigers Willing To Listen To Offers For Matthew Boyd, Others

By Connor Byrne | June 12, 2019 at 11:24pm CDT

With the July 31 trade deadline on the way and the Tigers well out of contention, they’re “open to moving virtually” all of their veteran players, Jon Morosi of MLB.com writes. Morosi names left-hander Matthew Boyd, closer Shane Greene and right fielder Nicholas Castellanos among potential trade pieces for the rebuilding Tigers.

Not only is Boyd the most appealing member of the above trio, but there is little question he’s Detroit’s MVP. After back-to-back seasons of roughly average production, the 28-year-old has performed like one of the majors’ premier starters in 2019. He owns a 3.08 ERA/2.91 FIP with a stunning 11.16 K/9 against 1.59 BB/9 through 14 starts and 84 2/3 innings. Adding to Boyd’s allure, he’s inexpensive right now ($2.6MM) and controllable for a while. Boyd’s in his first of four potential arbitration years.

While it would be difficult for the Tigers to move their fledgling ace, doing so would go a long way toward boosting a mediocre farm system. In a summer trade market that could also include the likes of Madison Bumgarner, Marcus Stroman and Aaron Sanchez, Boyd’s performance and affordable team control would make him the most desirable arm on the block. As you’d expect, though, Morosi notes it would take a Godfather offer for the Tigers to part with Boyd.

Unlike Boyd, Castellanos wouldn’t return any kind of haul. The 27-year-old is due for free agency after the season, for one, and isn’t cheap ($9.95MM). He’s also a defensively limited corner outfielder – something most executives frown on these days – and hasn’t gotten off to a compelling start at the plate this year. While Castellanos was a well above-average offensive player from 2016-18, he’s batting a so-so .263/.315/.454 (102 wRC+) with seven home runs in 273 trips to the plate this season. Even if Castellanos’ .325 weighted on-base average starts moving toward his .342 expected wOBA, it still wouldn’t do much for his trade value.

As with Castellanos, Greene’s a soon-to-be free agent who seems quite likely to leave Detroit in the coming weeks. As a $4MM hurler with plenty of late-game experience, the Tigers are sure to find a taker for the 30-year-old Greene. There’s added value with one more season of arbitration control, though Greene’s performance thus far may also cause his arb price tag to shoot up. In theory, Greene has upped his trade value as well with a tremendous 1.00 ERA, 9.67 K/9, 2.33 BB/9 and 19 saves on 20 tries in 27 innings. However, potential buyers are likely wary regression is around the corner.

Hitters have only posted a .182 batting average on balls in play against Greene, down 124 points from his career mark of .306; his 79.8 percent strand rate sits 11 percent above his lifetime figure; and there’s a sizable gap between his wOBA against (.212) and xwOBA (.280). Greene also comes with an inconsistent track record, having mustered an unspectacular 4.30 ERA/3.88 FIP in 178 innings out of the Tigers’ bullpen from 2016-18.

After Boyd, Castellanos and Greene, it’s not as easy to identify potentially on-the-block veteran Tigers. The team signed a pair of infielders, Josh Harrison and Jordy Mercer, as well as two starters in Tyson Ross and Matt Moore to one-year deals last offseason. At the time, the Tigers were no doubt hoping those four would build their value leading up to the deadline. Instead, they’ve been either bad or injured (or both in some cases). Righty Michael Fulmer underwent Tommy John surgery before the season, further destroying his once-high trade value, while designated hitter Miguel Cabrera and injured righty Jordan Zimmermann remain immovable because of their declining performances and albatross contracts.

Quick Hits: Keuchel, Red Sox, Moncada, Castellanos

By Connor Byrne | June 11, 2019 at 1:17am CDT

After signing a one-year, $13MM contract with the Braves last week, left-hander Dallas Keuchel made his first minor league tuneup with their Single-A affiliate Monday. Unsurprisingly, the accomplished Keuchel looked too advanced for the level, throwing seven shutout innings and 77 pitches of one-hit, one-walk ball with nine strikeouts. The soft-tossing 31-year-old’s fastball sat in the high 80s and maxed out at 89, per Tim Tucker of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Afterward, Keuchel suggested he could return to the majors following one more minor league start. Braves manager Brian Snitker said that “we’ll talk to [Keuchel] to see where he’s at” after he takes the mound one more time. Barring setbacks, though, Keuchel does seem likely to end up in Atlanta after that outing.

Tigers Notes: Castellanos, Harrison, Hardy

By Mark Polishuk | May 12, 2019 at 10:06pm CDT

As Tigers legend Lou Whitaker celebrates his 62nd birthday today, let’s look at some news from Motown…

Trade rumors have swirled around Nicholas Castellanos for well over a year, and the outfielder admitted to Chris McCosky of the Detroit News that he has been left feeling “uneasy” from the constant speculation. The piece provides an interesting look into the mindset of a player who knows he is in something of a limbo state, no longer in the long term plans of the team with whom he has spent his entire pro career. “You do everything you can to not let it affect you. If I am going to say it doesn’t affect me, I’d be lying,” Castellanos said. “I’d be giving you a media answer. The only thing I can control is going out and handling my business for me and take each at-bat the best I can for me. And in doing that, I can help the team win.” Whereas Castellanos embraced a face-of-the-franchise type of responsibility as a public and private team leader last season, McCosky notes that Castellanos has somewhat stepped back from those duties in 2019. “He’s knows he’s a lame-duck right fielder, and as such no longer HAS the obligation or the right to play that role,” McCosky writes.
Josh Harrison will return from the injured list prior to tomorrow’s game, as per a team announcement. The Tigers have already optioned Harold Castro back to Triple-A in order to create a 25-man roster spot. Harrison has spent two weeks on the IL recovering from a left shoulder contusion. The infielder signed a one-year, $2MM deal with Detroit over the winter and has often been mentioned as a possible deadline trade chip, though Harrison will first need to greatly improve on his .156/.212/.233 slash line from his first 99 PA in a Tigers uniform.
The Tigers activated left-hander Blaine Hardy from the injured list on Saturday, though as Hardy told the Detroit News’ Chris McCosky and other media, he isn’t entirely recovered from the left flexor tendinitis that shelved him for over two weeks. “I have a feeling it’s something I’m going to have to learn to pitch through,” Hardy said. “It’s just at a point now where it’s not affecting my pitching….You have to be able to get through those times when you don’t feel 100 percent, whether it’s from sickness, minor injury or tendinitis. The majority of the guys up here have done it before and know how to deal with it.” Pitching through such an injury carries risk, of course, though Hardy said that “I don’t think, from what everybody’s telling me, that [surgery] is the route this is going.” The southpaw got off to a rocky start (5.54 ERA in 13 innings) this season, a year removed from posting from quality numbers as a swingman in Detroit’s pitching staff.

Nicholas Castellanos Hires Boras Corporation

By Steve Adams and Jeff Todd | April 19, 2019 at 8:11pm CDT

Tigers right fielder Nicholas Castellanos has hired the Boras Corporation to represent him moving forward, Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press reports (Twitter link). The chance in representation comes just months before he’s slated to become a free agent for the first time.

Castellanos, 27, was previously represented by SportsMeter, making the switch an interesting one. SportsMeter and the Boras Corporation are the two agencies representing the game’s top two unsigned free agents in Craig Kimbrel and Dallas Keuchel, respectively. Boras Corp is obviously among the game’s largest agencies and has a longer track record, though both outfits in this equation had some misses this offseason. In addition to the fact that Keuchel remains unsigned, both Martin Maldonado and Gio Gonzalez have left Boras Corp in the past month due to apparent unhappiness with their own open-market experiences.

[RELATED: MLBTR Agency Database]

That said, there are certainly some parallels between Castellanos and another prominent Boras client: J.D. Martinez. Beyond the fact that both have patrolled right field at Comerica Park, each is a defensively challenged slugger. Bat-only players have not been in particularly high demand of late, so a relatively limited market is to be expected. Castellanos can’t match Martinez’s track record at the plate, but he will have age on his side; the former will be selling his services beginning with his age-28 season, whereas the latter didn’t become a free agent until he’d already turned 30. That’s not to say that anyone should expect a $100MM+ contract for Castellanos in free agency, but the fact that the Boras Corporation has successfully brokered a sizable contract for a player with a similar skill set quite likely held some appeal in this case.

There is still nearly a full season left for Castellanos to demonstrate some improvements in his glovework. The DRS grading system has smiled upon his efforts thus far, though UZR remains unmoved. If he can prove himself to be even a palatable performer in right field, the slate of potential suitors might expand appreciably. Clubs with interest in the bat will surely have their scouts take a close look to see whether — and for how long — Castellanos can be trusted on the outfield grass.

Extension Rumors: Cole, Verlander, Red Sox, Castellanos

By Steve Adams | March 22, 2019 at 10:05am CDT

The Astros are currently discussing extensions with starters Gerrit Cole and Justin Verlander, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports (subscription required), though a deal with either seems unlikely. Rosenthal notes that the Astros may not be keen on paying market price for a multi-year extension with Verlander when that deal would begin in his age-37 season. Cole, meanwhile, is a Scott Boras client and thus likelier to test the free-agent market. Boras’ most recent extension for a starting pitcher was Nationals righty Stephen Strasburg, who (like Cole) was in his walk year when he signed a $175MM guarantee on a seven-year deal beginning in his age-28 season. Cole is in his age-28 season right now, so he’d be a year older than Strasburg at the time of a theoretical extension, but he’s also been more durable, reaching 200 innings in three of the past four seasons. Rosenthal makes a slightly less-aggressive comp than that, pointing out that Cole will reach free agency at the same age as Patrick Corbin and with better career stats. Corbin agreed to a six-year deal worth $140MM with the Nats this winter.

Since it’s officially “Extension Season” — as MLBTR’s Extension Tracker shows, there have been a virtually unprecedented 16 extension agreements during Spring Training — here’s more extension chatter from around the game…

Rob Bradford of WEEI spoke to J.D. Martinez about the opt-out clause in his contract with the Red Sox at the end of the season. Martinez, who can opt out of the remaining three years and $62.5MM on his current deal, said there haven’t been any discussions about an extension or a restructuring of the contract to this point. Unlike last summer, however, he at least left open a slight window for in-season talks in his most recent interview with Bradford. Martinez has an opt-out after the third year of his contract as well, at which point there’d be two years and $38.75MM remaining on the deal.
Red Sox left fielder Andrew Benintendi was drafted five spot behind Alex Bregman and reached the Majors barely a week after the Astros’ third baseman, but Benintendi tells Bradford that his those similarities didn’t make him take particular note of Bregman’s $100MM extension. Rather, the 24-year-old Benintendi says it’s “fun to watch all these guys sign some deals” in a nod to the bevy of extensions throughout MLB. Benintendi and his reps have not discussed an extension with the Sox this winter, though he tells Bradford that he would “definitely” listen if the Sox initiated talks.
MLB Network’s Jon Heyman spoke to Red Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski about the team’s current slate of extension candidates (all links to Twitter). While it’s common for players to place Opening Day deadlines on extension talks, Dombrowski somewhat unusually took a similar stance. “We’re focused on winning this year,” he said. “…Unless something unexpected happens, we’re not going to do anything once the season starts.” Heyman notes that Xander Bogaerts, specifically, has stated an aversion to in-season negotiating. Regarding Martinez, Dombrowski merely stated that the Sox are “hopeful” he won’t opt out of his contract.
The Tigers “haven’t engaged in any kind of [extension] conversations” with Nicholas Castellanos this spring, GM Al Avila told MLB.com’s Jason Beck yesterday. There’s been no formal offer or even any formal discussions on the matter with Castellanos’ agent, according to Avila, though he said the possibility of a deal is “obviously… in our minds.” Castellanos has expressed a desire to remain in Detroit on a long-term deal, though the rebuilding Tigers will undoubtedly view him as a possible trade asset this summer as well. If the two sides can eventually find a common ground in terms of price, however, Avila said he wouldn’t rule out an in-season extension. “He hasn’t said anything to the contrary,” Avila said of Castellanos being willing to negotiate beyond Opening Day. “I think he would be open to it.”

Injury Notes: Harper, Castellanos, Foltynewicz, Senzatela, Nix

By TC Zencka and Ty Bradley | March 16, 2019 at 1:27pm CDT

With each bump and bruise this time of year comes the potential for missed time during the regular season, perhaps especially so for those late signees getting delayed starts to their Spring Training. As Opening Day fast approaches, let’s get the lowdown on a few injury reports from camp…

Latest Updates

Rockies righty Antonio Senzatela has an infected blister on his right heel and will be out “a while,” per manager Bud Black (via the Denver Post’s Patrick Saunders). Senzatela, 24, was competing for the final spot in Colorado’s rotation with Chad Bettis, who now appears to have the role on lock. The Venezuelan-born righty had made just eight starts above the high-A level before opening the 2017 season with the team, and again played a major role in the club’s wild card-run last season. His fastball-heavy repertoire is devoid, at this point, of a true swing-and-miss pitch, so perhaps the 6’1 righty could indeed use further minor league seasoning. Still, despite some sophomore regression, Senzatela’s been reasonably effective thus far in his young MLB career, and the Rockies are almost certain to require his services at some point this season.
Padres righty Jacob Nix has been shut down with right arm soreness, per MLB.com’s AJ Cassavell. Nix, 23, shares with Senzatela the same allergy to missing bats, but was a legitimate candidate for the fifth spot in a wide-open San Diego rotation. Once the victim of a too-clever Astros draft scheme, in which the team agreed to terms with the young righty but was forced to renege after a bonus-pool shortage resulting from the Brady Aiken fiasco, Nix has long flashed top-of-the-rotation tools but struggled with consistency. Last season’s debut was a disaster: the 6’5 righty was torched to the tune of a 7.02 ERA/5.83 FIP with 8 HRs allowed in just 42 1/3 IP. He, too, is due for a longer minors simmer, having made just one start above the AA level in his young career thus far.

Earlier Reports

Bryce Harper is day-to-day with ankle swelling, per ESPN’s Jeff Passan (via Twitter). Harper was hit by a pinch in yesterday’s Phillies game, though even by this morning the swelling had reduced. All tests came back negative, per Matt Breen of the Philadelphia Inquirer (via Twitter), while a number of reporters quote manager Gabe Kapler as projecting confidence in Bryce’s ability to be ready by Opening Day. All in all, this appears to be much ado about nothing, but as is the case with any injury, it’s worth tracking for aftereffect. Due to the late date of his signing, Harper has seen limited action in spring thus far, going 0-5 with three strikeouts, three walks, and a stolen base, though the focus here is obviously not yet on production. The Phillies season opens less than two weeks from today with their home opener against the Braves on Thursday, March 28th.
Tigers presumptive right fielder Nick Castellanos remains out of the lineup for the time being, per MLB.com’s Jason Beck (via Twitter). Castellanos is likely to return to Grapefruit League play within a couple of days. He was seen taking batting practice in the cage today and at least provided cursory affirmation that tests on his bruised left hand revealed no significant damage, per Chris McCosky of the Detroit News (via Twitter). Castellanos has been bandied about often here at MLBTR this winter as a trade candidate, which appears likely to continue as there have been no extension talks between the right-handed slugger and the club.
The Braves may be without their ace until “mid/late April,” per the Athletic’s David O’Brien (via Twitter). Mike Foltynewicz has missed most of Spring Training with a sore elbow after a breakout season. Folty was stellar in 2018 as he went 13-10 with a 2.85 ERA (3.37 FIP) over 183 frames. There was much speculation about the Braves bolstering their rotation this winter, either via free agency or by bundling their prospects in a trade, but they mostly hung tight despite losing Anibal Sanchez – who enjoyed a different variety of 2018 breakout – to the rival Nationals. The Braves have plenty of depth to cover, but much of their standing pat must have been predicated on a healthy Folynewicz leading the charge again in 2019. Atlanta will lean on Julio Teheran, Kevin Gausman, and Sean Newcomb to hold down the fort until Folty’s return.

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