Cincinnati Reds: 3 reasons why Nick Castellanos should return in 2021

Reds right fielder Nick Castellanos can opt out of his contract.

There’s guarded optimism among the Cincinnati Reds faithful that last year’s prized free agent signing Nick Castellanos will return in 2021. The right-handed slugger has the opportunity to opt out of his current four-year contract and enter free agency this winter. That may not be the wisest choice for Castellanos this offseason.

Nick Castellanos shocked the baseball world last offseason when he signed a four-year/$64M contract with the Reds. The Cincinnati front office, who were looking for offensive upgrades last winter, landed one of the biggest names on the open market. Castellanos, who was sought after by several teams, was the icing on the cake after several other free agent signings last offseason.

Reds Country was initially ecstatic with the signing, but as details of the contract came out, the enthusiasm turned to worry. Castellanos’ contract allows for the 28-year-old to opt for free agency following the 2020 and 2021 seasons. If Castellanos decides to stay with Cincinnati next season, his base salary will be $14M according to Spotrac.

Aside from Trevor Bauer’s entrance into free agency, what Castellanos does in terms of his contract will probably garner the most attention of the Reds faithful this offseason. While the debate may rage on until a decision must be made, here are three reasons why Nick Castellanos should return to the Cincinnati Reds in 2021.

1. Nick Castellanos can opt out of his contract with the Reds next season.

Not only does Nick Castellanos have the ability to opt out of his current contract after the completion of the 2020 season, but Castellanos can also opt out of his contract following the 2021 season as well. Who knows what the free agent landscape is going to look like following thee pandemic-shortened season?

Owners throughout Major League Baseball are likely to be tightening their belts as the offseason begins. Don’t be shocked to see several general managers looking to unload big contracts, even if certain players are still performing at a high level. The coronavirus pandemic cut the 2020 season from 162 games to 60.

Not only that, but there were no fans in attendance all season. Each owner is missing out on gate revenue from 81 games, not to mention merchandise sales, concessions and advertising. The financial impact of the coronavirus pandemic have been felt all across the world, and I believe we’re going to see it reflected in the sports world as well.

Nick Castellanos has $14M reasons to return to the Cincinnati Reds next season. That’s nothing to sneeze at, especially in this economy. If I were Castellanos, I’d be completely happy to take my check for the upcoming 2021 season and enter the free agent market the following winter.

Following the 2021 season, Castellanos will no longer be able to opt out of his deal. However, it’s not as if the contract he signed with the Reds last offseason offers Castellanos a raw deal. If Castellanos does not opt out after next season, Cincinnati still owes the right-handed slugger $16M in both 2022 and 2023 with a $2M buyout in 2024.

3. Marcell Ozuna is a free agent, again.

Last offseason, we saw the debate drone on and on for what seemed like weeks on end; would you rather have Marcell Ozuna or Nick Castellanos? In the end, Ozuna signed a one-year deal with the Atlanta Braves and Nick Castellanos signed a four-year contract with the Cincinnati Reds. Ozuna’s monster 2020 campaign will put him ahead of Castellanos should he opt out.

Ozuna had a phenomenal year in Atlanta. The 29-year-old slugged his way atop the National League leaderboard for home runs in 2020. Ozuna’s 18 round-trippers put him one ahead of Fernando Tatis Jr. Ozuna’s 56 RBIs led the senior circuit, with three more than his teammate Freddie Freeman. Ozuna is in line for a big-time contract.

That said, Ozuna had to essentially sell himself pretty hard last offseason. It was pretty late in the game before any team committed to Ozuna, and even then, the slugger had to settle for a one-year “prove it” deal. The Reds had Ozuna on their short-list last winter and reportedly offered him a multi-year deal, but he turned it down.

With Ozuna entering the free agent market again in 2020, he’s likely to be the top outfielder available this winter, save for George Springer. Next year’s free agent class is much weaker, with Michael Conforto leading the way.

There’s also the matter of the expiring collective bargaining agreement. With the Player’s Union and the league heading towards what’s expected to be intense negotiations, Nick Castellanos might do well to stick with the current contract he has. There’s no telling where MLB will be following next season.