One of the biggest free-agent bats on the market this MLB offseason has reportedly becoming a hot commodity in recent days.
Castellanos used the opt-out clause in his contract with the Cincinnati Reds two weeks ago to officially became a free agent.
Selected by the Detroit Tigers in the first round of the 2010 MLB June Amateur draft, Castellanos made his professional debut in September 2013, and after hitting 11 home runs and collecting 66 runs batted in during the 2014 season, he finished eighth in that year’s Rookie of the Year voting. Castellanos would stay with the Tigers until he was moved to the Chicago Cubs at the 2019 trade deadline.
Over his 837 games and 3,421 plate appearances with Detroit, Castellanos had 104 home runs, 424 RBI and posted a .274/.324/.459 slash line. Castellanos would finish out the 2019 campaign with the Cubs, notching 16 home runs and 36 runs batted in, to go along with a brilliant .321/.356/.646 slash line, in just 51 games and 525 plate appearances.
Castellanos signed with the Reds in the 2020 offseason, and in the pandemic-shortened season, hit 14 home runs and collected 34 runs batted in across 60 games and 242 plate appearances. The right-fielder broke out in a big way in 2021, setting career-highs in home runs (34), batting average (.309), on-base percentage (.362) and slugging percentage (.576), earning his first All-Star honor in the process.
Victor Barbosa is a passionate follower of MLB, the NBA and NFL, with a specific interest in the Boston-area teams. As a 90s kid, he knows how spoiled he’s been, particularly with the BoSox run of championships (he grew up with a dog named Nomar and a cat named Big Papi). Now he lives with his fiancee and two pups (Hershey and Mosby) outside of Albany, NY. Follow Victor on Twitter at @vbarbosa1127.
For all the latest Sports News Click Here
