Detroit Tigers: Exploring Nicholas Castellanos Trade Scenarios

The Detroit Tigers are in rebuilding mode, and many of their most valuable players will be on the trade block, including right fielder Nicholas Castellanos.

With Detroit Tigers’ General Manager Al Avila admitting that basically everyone is on the block, it’s time to talk about Nicholas Castellanos. Castellanos has been Detroit’s best player this season, putting together an All-Star caliber campaign. He is slashing a blistering .305/.359/.517 with 15 home runs. His 48.8% hard hit rate is once again among the league leaders.

Additionally, his defense, while still not good, is improving in right field. He has a UZR/150 of -9.5 in nearly 800 innings this season, compared to a -53.5(!) last season.

Castellanos is a borderline superstar, and is under team control through 2019. The Tigers and Castellanos discussed an extension before this season began, but were not able to come to an agreement. While Castellanos has said he wants to stay in Detroit long-term, the Tigers need to consider all options with their burgeoning star.

That could include dealing him this season, while his value is at an all-time high. Teams would need to be prepared to surrender quite a bit in prospect capital to acquire Castellanos, as he is an all-star caliber player on a cheap contract who is under control for another year.

That, coupled with a limited market for outfielders and a plethora of other options (Adam Jones, Shin-Soo Choo, Corey Dickerson, etc.) will likely keep Castellanos in the Motor City.

However, what’s July without some speculation? If the Tigers do decide to move Castellanos, here are a few teams who could show interest and what a potential return could look like.

(Note: The Indians are probably the most outfield needy team that is buying, but Castellanos to the Indians is flat-out not going to happen, so I didn’t write it up)

Houston Astros

The Astros are once again likely to be buyers, although their biggest need is in the bullpen and not in the outfield. Still, if Kyle Tucker is not ready for the big leagues, the Astros will have a hole in left field. Castellanos has not played much left field in the big leagues, although he played there a fair amount in the minors.

Plus, designated hitter Evan Gattis could be called into more catching duty with Brian McCann on the DL. Max Stassi has been the Astros’ starter behind the plate, with journeyman Tim Federowicz as the backup. If the Astros want to get Gattis into the lineup instead of Federowicz, that could free up at bats at DH for Castellanos.

Once again, it’s not a perfect fit and it’s not Houston’s highest priority. But Detroit is familiar with the Astros’ farm system, and it’s possible Castellanos and Justin Verlander could be reunited in Houston.

Like the Tigers, the Astros’ farm system is very pitching heavy. A few position players the Tigers could target include MIF Freudis Nova and 3B Joe Perez. Nova was the prize of Houston’s spendy international class of 2016/2017. He’s a shortstop who scouts project could hit for both average and power, drawing comparisons to Edgar Renteria and Hanley Ramirez.

Perez was a pitcher in high school who ran it up to 98 miles per hour, but Houston drafted him in the second round last year as a third baseman. He has plus power and the arm to play third base in the big leagues.

St. Louis Cardinals

The biggest question about the Cardinals is if they will actually choose to be buyers or not. They are currently 48-46 and buried in third place in the NL Central. If they do decide to go for it, Castellanos would help solve their right field problem this season.

Dexter Fowler has started 61 games for them in right field, but he has been unbelievably bad. He’s hitting an appalling .176 with seven home runs and three steals. He finally got benched, with rookie Harrison Bader taking over. The 24-year-old Bader has been solid, with a .272/.340/.413 line to go along with six home runs and nine steals.

Still, the Cardinals could use an upgrade and Castellanos would absolutely provide that. He could slot in right field, pushing Bader into a reserve role and allowing St. Louis to jettison Fowler.

If the Cardinals are buying, the Tigers should try to acquire Tyler O’Neill. The 23-year-old slugger is absolutely mashing at Triple-A, with 19 home runs and a .294/.356/.634 slash line in 52 games. O’Neill is a younger, more cost-controlled version of Castellanos, and would give the Tigers a player to partner with Daz Cameron and Christin Stewart in the team’s future outfield.

If O’Neill proves a bit too ambitious, second baseman Max Schrock would be another promising target. Schrock, 23, swings from the left side and is a high-quality defender at the keystone. He profiles as a high-contact hitter who could hit .300 with limited strikeouts. His power and speed are average, enough to project him as a regular big league starter.

Next: Exploring Michael Fulmer Trade Scenarios

The Detroit Tigers don’t need to deal Castellanos. With a limited number of teams needing outfield help, it’s more likely they’ll hold onto him and either try again to extend him or try to move him next year.