Nellie or Nick?
Entry posted by mike8791 ·
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Recently, Twins have been reported to have sweetened the price to Nellie, though still sticking to a one year deal. Very hard to argue with FO's desire to bring back a guy who has been the Twins' offensive leader for the past two years, nor is sticking to a one year deal with a 41 year old debatable.
The only FA DH the Twins have been linked to is Ozuna, whose offensive prowess is a close match to Cruz's over past couple years. His signing, however, would most likely result in a big, multiyear contract which this FO appears loathe to pursue. Can't argue with that philosophy, especially with Donaldson's big contract and the need for payroll flexibility with Berrios and Buxton approaching FA.
While Nick Castellanos does not have the offensive stats of the above, he is a very consistent hitter over the years. Even in a subpar 2020 year, where his OBP fell below .300, he still managed 14HRs and 34 rbis, and a .784 OPS. He was an absolute stud for the Cubs in 2019 when his OPS exceeded 1.0. Castellanos has age going for him(29), positional flexibility, mainly as corner OF, and a 3 year guaranteed contract of about $15MM annually.
Now Nick might not match Crus/Ozuna's production in 2021, but he has one big attribute the others do not. His inclusion in a trade with the Reds could likely diminish the price on Sonny Gray. Yes, the Twins would have to give up some prospects, but probably not any of the top 3. They are in need of a SS so Polanco could be enticing along with one of the Twins top 10 and one top 20 prospect. No way of knowing exact players needed but suffice it to say that the Twins have a strong enough minor league system to satisfy the Reds, particularly if Nick's salary is removed from the books. Arguably, with Gray shoring up the Twins rotation and Castellanos filling the DH role more than adequately, that is a needle-moving transaction that should get our blood boiling.
What do you think?
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