Detroit Tigers: Nicholas Castellanos headed to the Windy City

Good Riddance! The Detroit Tigers traded away right-fielder Nicholas Castellanos to the Chicago Cubs for a pair of prospects 40-seconds before the 4 PM trade deadline.

Al Avila appeared to finally awaken from his afternoon siesta just in time to make a couple of much-needed trades on deadline day. Avila sent Nicholas Castellanos to the windy city–no not to hang out with Frank Gallagher in the Southside; he’s headed to the Chicago Cubs in exchange for a couple of pitching prospects. He was also able to move All-Star closer Shane Greene to the Atlanta Braves for a pitching prospect along with an outfield prospect. The roster overhaul continues for the Detroit Tigers.

It was a day that was a bit unsettling for Detroit Tigers fans. I mean this had Michael Fulmer written all over it. Would Avila be able to make a deal today? Tigers ace Matt Boyd is the Tigers most significant trade chip and similar to Fulmer, Avila was unable to find an agreement for the left-hander.

Remember, Fulmer at one time was one of the most desirable pitching prospects in the game. The Detroit Tigers had a window to move the young arm when his value was sky high but decided to play poker; the house won. Fulmer hasn’t made a single appearance in 2019 and he won’t, it’s a lost season. Matt Boyd was this seasons’, Michael Fulmer. The Tigers wouldn’t have received the same return for Boyd as they could have gotten at one time for Fulmer, but they should have welcomed a significant return. Expect the Tigers to revisit a Boyd deal over the Winter or a year from now.

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Nicholas Castellanos who’s raked against left-handed pitching stashing (.347/.415/.611) vs. lefties this season fills a need for the Chicago Cubs. They were seeking a right-handed bat and got it. Castellanos is a pure rental player that will likely sign back in the American League this Winter with a team looking for a designated hitter.

In Chicago, Nick will be a platoon player that will be featured against left-handed pitching. Nick leads the entire Major League Baseball with 37 doubles on the season. Impressive for a player that consistently complained this season about how big Comerica Park is. I mean he called the park a joke. It seems his bat enjoyed the gap to gap space the ballpark has to offer.

Castellanos will join a roster loaded with talent. From Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant, David Bote to Javier Baez to rotating in the outfield with Kyle Schwarber and Ian Happ. Castellanos isn’t a good defender; either is Schwarber, so simply put–if you are hitting you are going to play.

Nick Castellanos was set to be a free agent at seasons’ end. It was improbable Nick would want to re-sign with Detroit. In Detroit’s defense, they mentioned publically he didn’t work into their future plans. An odd thing for a franchise to say; that’s where it appeared the marriage between the two started to stain.

I can’t blame Nick for having a sour taste in his mouth after a comment like that, and he wasn’t afraid to show his displeasure as the season wore on. I didn’t like how his post-game interviews looked, they’ve come across arrogant. It’s a move that works well for both parties.

The Detroit Tigers received a pair of right-handed pitching prospects for his services. Just what the Tigers need right? A couple of more arms. Pitching prospects Paul Richan and Alex Lange will add depth to the Tigers farm system.

Richan won’t impress you when you check the radar gun, but his arsenal is a bit deceptive. At the moment he’s projected to be a back of the rotation type of pitcher. We aren’t getting Casey Mize here folks. He’s 10-5 this year with a 3.97 ERA as a member of Myrtle Beach Pelicans of the Carolina League (A-ball). Richan is 22-years old and was a second-round pick of the Cubs in the 2018 MLB Amature Draft. He was currently Chicago’s 16th ranked prospect.

Alex Lange hasn’t been very good this year between Tennessee (Double-A) & Myrtle Beach posting a 5.82 ERA. I don’t expect the 23-year old to be a regular with the Detroit Tigers. He was considered to be the Cubs 23rd best prospect; that’s a tough row to hoe if he plans on reaching the show in Detroit with all of the highly regarded pitching prospects in the system.

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All in all, it was better to get something for Nick rather than allowing him to go through the motions for the final two months of the season and watching him walk away for nothing this Winter. There is a chance Richan can be something, that would be a bonus for the Tigers.

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