Guardians stand out as obvious fit for disgruntled former All-Star 

Even if the World Series hasn’t ended yet, the Guardians have already begun to move their focus toward next season thanks to their early postseason exit. 

And, as a part of that, the team has already let the baseball world know that they’re planning on upgrading their outfield after finishing last season with one of the worst outfields in baseball. 

And while they’ll likely be able to do that through free agency, history also tells us that they’ll be active on the trade market. And they had an obvious trade target all but officially hit the market last week when the Phillies essentially announced their intention to trade outfielder Nick Castellanos in the offseason. 

Although Phillies president Dave Dombrowski deflected when he was asked about Castellanos in his postmortem press conference, veteran beat reporter Matt Gelb reported that the Phillies “have indicated for weeks they expect to move on from the veteran outfielder.”

And even if Castellanos isn’t a good fit for the Phillies, he would be an immediate upgrade for the Guardians and likely wouldn’t cost a ton in a trade given his salary and lack of production last year. 

The Guardians should make Nick Castellanos a trade target this offseason

While Castellanos is a two-time All-Star, he hit just .250 with 17 home runs and 72 RBI in 147 games. He was “worth” -0.6 in fWAR, which was due in large part to the fact he finished the year with -12 Defensive Runs Saved in right field (the second-lowest mark in baseball). 

He also was benched for an "inappropriate" comment in June and was a part-time player by the end of the season.

 But just because he’s not Willy Mays doesn’t mean that he wouldn’t be able to help the Guardians. Last year, the six players who played right field for the Guardians combined to hit 19 home runs across the 162-game season. Meanwhile, Castellanos hit 17 home runs himself. 

His easy fit in Cleveland’s lineup has also been evident for people across baseball, as MLB Trade Rumors’ Nic Deeds had the Guardians at the top of his list highlighting some potential future destinations for Castellanos.

“The Guardians are perhaps the most straightforward fit for Castellanos available. They’ve already made clear they hope to upgrade their outfield mix. As a club without much money to spend most years, the fact that Castellanos could be had for a fraction of his salary (or perhaps even the league minimum) has to be enticing,” he wrote.

Deeds also brought up Castellanos subpar defense, which is the obvious red flag on his profile, along with his $20 million price tag. The good news for the Guardians is that their designated hitter spot will be freed up next season thanks to David Fry being able to play the field. 

Yes, a $20 million price tag for a part-time DH may be a bit steep, but the Guardians need a big bat in their lineup and they need it fast. Adding Castellanos is an easy way to do that.