Don't overreact to this Reds duo being spotted at NHL game together

While it's easy to do, I wouldn't read too much into Nick Castellanos and Jonathan India taking in a hockey game together in their home state of Florida.

The Florida Panthers Twitter account posted a picture of the duo side-by-side attending last night's game between the Florida Panthers and the Philadelphia Flyers.

Reds duo was spotted at an NHL game last night.

Nick Castellanos is a free agent, and is one of the most sought-after outfielders on the open market.

Jonathan India was the near-unanimous winner of the 2021 NL Rookie of the Year Award.

Both Castellanos and India are from Florida and make their offseason residences in their home state.

The two seem to have formed a friendship with one another, and there's mutual admiration between the two.

After winning his Silver Slugger Award earlier this offseason, Nick Castellanos made it a point to offer a piece of advice to the Cincinnati Reds.

The free agent outfielder suggested that it would be wise for the Reds to sign Jonathan India to an extension before he becomes too expensive to retain.

Will Nick Castellanos re-sign with the Reds?

Until he signs elsewhere, Reds Country will continue to hold out hope that Nick Castellanos will return to the Queen City.

I don't think it's out of the question, but it's highly unlikely. The Reds have been very upfront about aligning their payroll to their resources this offseason.

That said, with Tucker Barnhart and Wade Miley now off the books for 2022, perhaps the front office could offer a reasonable contract to Castellanos' camp.

The Reds right fielder was very outspoken about how much he enjoyed playing baseball in 2021.

Castellanos' love of the city and his teammates will no doubt have an impact on his decision during free agency.

But, so will the number of zeros on his next paycheck. If the Reds have any hope of retaining Nick Castellanos, they'll have to offer him a market-value deal.

According to MLB Trade Rumors, Castellanos should expect to sign a contract in the neighborhood of five-years/$115M.

That's quite the commitment for a franchise that already has $60M tied up in four players (Joey Votto, Mike Moustakas, Eugenio Suárez, and Shogo Akiyama).

If the Reds are able to trade Sonny Gray and his $10.2M salary, the door could be open for Castellanos' return to Cincinnati.

Still, I wouldn't read too much into Nick Castellanos and Jonathan India being spotted together at last night's Panthers games.

It was likely little more than two Florida natives enjoying a hockey game. The Panthers defeated the Flyers by a score of 2-1.