Detroit Tigers: The importance Of Nicholas Castellanos

Even with the heavy rumors of the Detroit Tigers being sellers at the Trade Deadline, they need to keep their paws on one play, Nicholas Castellanos.

Detroit Tigers fans, at least a majority of them, seem to want him gone. They want to forget he was ever even wore the Olde English “D”.

There could not be a bigger mistake than to let Castellanos slip away.

I grant you, he is miserable at third base. But it is not his ability that holds him back. He will make the great plays, then boot a routine grounder. That is a mental bock, not a lack of ability.

The Proposal

The defensive block can be cured, but it will take some time.  Here is what can fix the defensive issue: move him to first base.  His 6’4″ frame fits the size bill of a first basemen.

But I get it, there is a clog at first base with Miguel Cabrera. If Miggy can move to DH, currently occupied by Victor Martinez, then there is room.

This is where taking time comes in. V-Mart has two years left on his contract. And since no team in their right mind would trade for him, it will be a wait.

When the contract is up, do not re-sign him. This opens up for Miggy to take over the DH spot, and Castellanos can safely slide over to first.

Without a doubt in my mind, Castellanos will have a raise in fielding percentage. Until then, it is a waiting game with him at third.

Why Wait?

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This is a good question. Two years is a pretty generous amount of time for an experiment.

Look, Castellanos is 25-years-old. He has been getting consistently better offensively, and his swing is solid. As he gets experience and his approach matures, he will get even better.

His upside offensively is why the Tigers should wait on him to be able to shift over to first.

Swing Mechanics

For me to sound as optimistic as I do about upside is rare. I really believe in the swing of Castellanos.

He features great hands  through the hitting zone that allow him to hit the ball to all fields.

But before he even starts is swing, his hands are in a good place. There is very little movement from where his hands are to where they need to be to start his swing. That is referred to as having quiet hands.

His load process features a fairly high leg kick.

It is potentially harmful, but those who execute a leg kick at this level are good about getting the foot down in time to hit.

Overall, Castellanos has a very good swing and will be a great bat for the Detroit Tigers once he refines his approach a little more.

Final Word

So, I say again keep Castellanos. It is what will be best for the team in the long run.  A small change on the field will mean the world to his fielding ability.

Next: A look at 22nd-round draft pick Colby Bortles

If the Detroit Tigers decide to rid themselves of their third baseman, it will come back to bite them in the future.