Reds: 3 internal replacements should Nick Castellanos opt out of his deal

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CINCINNATI, OHIO – JUNE 09: Nick Castellanos #2 and Jesse Winker #33 of the Cincinnati Reds celebrate. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images) /

Nick Castellanos signed a four-year/$64M contract with the Cincinnati Reds prior to the 2020 season. As part of the agreement, Castellanos could choose to opt out after either the 2020 or 2021 season. While Castellanos has yet to make his intentions known, there’s a good chance today’s game in Pittsburgh could be his last in a Reds uniform.

Sure, Castellanos could choose not to exercise his opt out clause and remain with Cincinnati for the next two seasons. However, after going to the All-Star Game for the first time and putting up MVP-type numbers during this second season in the Queen City, all signs point to the 29-year-old entering free agency.

There’s a chance that Castellanos could opt out of his current deal and sign a new contract with the Reds. However, given how Cincinnati’s ownership spent money, or should I say didn’t spend money last offseason, that scenario seems unlikely.

Most likely, Nick Castellanos will exercise his right to opt out of his current deal, the Reds will extend a qualifying offer to him, and Cincinnati will receive draft compensation should the slugger sign a new contact with another club. If Castellanos does indeed leave Cincinnati this offseason, who will be the Reds’ new right fielder in 2022?

1. Jesse Winker could replace Nick Castellanos as the Reds right fielder.

For now, we’ll just focus on internal replacements, and Jesse Winker‘s name could be near the top the list. Yes, he’s currently Cincinnati’s starting left fielder, and played some solid defense there this season. But, Da Wink has experience in right field, and shifting him back to the other side of the outfield might allow David Bell to experiment a bit more in left field.

Winker saw action in right field during five games this season, earning one start and logging 15.2 innings of work. Winker started one game in right field last season, but spent the three previous seasons recording 645 innings in right field. However, in those three seasons Winker netted -12 defensive runs saved, suggesting he’s not even an average right fielder, defensively.

Winker has logged -5 DRS over the past two seasons while playing 900-plus innings in left field. Winker also has a fringy arm, and is much better suited for playing left field in the big leagues. That said, if the Reds don’t make any additions to their outfield this winter, Jesse Winker is certainly an option to take over for for Nick Castellanos in right field.

In all likelihood, Winker will suit up as the Cincinnati Reds starting left fielder on Opening Day next season. However, Shogo Akiyama is better suited to play left field rather than right field. The Reds have tried Tyler Stephenson in left field this season. And, we’ve seen Max Schrock get considerable time at the position. Even Kyle Farmer has logged two innings in left field.

Those scenarios are the only ones in which I see Winker starting more games in right field than left field. If that truly is the case, and the Reds go with some combination of Akiyama, Schrock, and Farmer in left field, this team will have much bigger problems entering the 2022 season.

CINCINNATI, OHIO – JULY 16: Tyler Naquin #12 celebrates with Nick Castellanos #2 of the Cincinnati Reds. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) /

2. Tyler Naquin could replace Nick Castellanos as the Reds right fielder.

If you asked right now, which current Cincinnati Reds is most likely to replace Nick Castellanos in right field next year, my answer would be Tyler Naquin. Naquin was signed to a minor league deal prior spring training, and set some pretty impressive career milestones.

Naquin produced career-highs in games played (127), hits (111), runs scored (52), home runs (19), and RBIs (70). This was the version of Tyler Naquin that Cleveland Indians were so encouraged by in 2016 when the then-25-year-old placed third in the AL Rookie of the Year voting.

The Reds could do a lot worse than Tyler Naquin as the team’s starting right fielder in 2022. Naquin fielded 21 games in right field in 2021, including 15 starts. Most of those came when Nick Castellanos was on the IL with a wrist injury. Naquin has a 179 total games in right field under his belt and a .994 fielding percentage.

Naquin does not have quite the arm as Castellanos, but it’s better than average, and he’s totaled 16 outfield assists while playing right field over his six years in the major leagues. Naquin played all three outfield spots for Cincinnati this season.

Tyler Naquin will be due a raise through arbitration this winter. The 30-year-old took home $1.5M this past season. Naquin’s biggest struggle would likely come against left-handed pitchers. The slugger finished the 2021 season with a .197/.300/.267 slash line versus southpaws.

CINCINNATI, OHIO – JUNE 28: Nick Castellanos #2 and Aristides Aquino #44 of the Cincinnati Reds celebrate. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images) /

3. Aristides Aquino could replace Nick Castellanos as the Reds right fielder.

Aristides Aquino is not the same player Reds Country fell in love with during the summer of 2019. It looked like, heading into the 2019-2020 offseason, that Aquino would be the starting right fielder for the Cincinnati Reds in 2020. But, Nick Castellanos fell into the Reds’ laps, and Aquino was forced to serve as a role player.

Aquino’s numbers since September 1st of 2019 are dreadful. The Punisher is hitting .185/.279/.376 with 16 home runs, 68 wRC+ and a 34.4% strikeout-rate. For comparison’s sake, Aquino hit .320/.391/.767 with 14 home runs, 183 wRC+, and a 22.6% strikeout-rate in August of 2019 when he took home Player of the Month honors.

One year ago today, Aristides Aquino put on an absolute show. ?? #RedsVault pic.twitter.com/8AMMRYRFnB
— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) August 10, 2020

Now, defensively, Aquino may be the absolute best internal replacement for Nick Castellanos. Aquino accounted for 2 DRS in 2019 while playing in right field and 1 DRS this season. The Punisher has deceptive speed and certainly has the arm to play right field.

Aquino is an easy player to root. He signed as an international free agent in 2011 at the age of 17, climbed up slowly through the minor league ranks, and was, at one time, non-tendered. Aquino had a breakout season with the Louisville Bats in 2019 and parlayed that into a major league call-up after the Reds dealt away Yasiel Puig.

Aristides Aquino feels like a rotational outfielder at best. I could easily envision a scenario in which David Bell platoons Aquino and Tyler Naquin in right field next season, with The Punisher getting the majority of at-bats versus left-handers. That said, Aquino’s hit just .190 off left-handed pitchers this season.

5 Reds who should have an expanded role in 2022. Next

Nick Castellanos has said that a lot will go into his decision about whether or not to opt out of the two years and $34M remaining on his current deal. However, there’s a chance Castellanos could take home a four-to-five year contract with an average annual value of $20M per season.

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