The Cincinnati Reds have continued their busy offseason, matching their biggest free-agent contract in team history by agreeing to a four-year, $64 million deal with outfielder Nick Castellanos, sources confirmed to ESPN’s Jeff Passan on Monday.
The deal has an opt-out clause after the first season, sources said.
Castellanos, who undoubtedly made some money for himself after his midseason trade from the Detroit Tigers to the Chicago Cubs, continued to be a doubles machine with 58 between the two teams in 2019.
He has averaged 38 doubles in his six full seasons in the majors.
His power increased as well last season. After hitting just 11 home runs in 403 at-bats in cavernous Comerica Park, Castellanos hit 16 with the Cubs in just 212 at-bats. His OPS+ (151) in 2019 was easily the best of his career.
Castellanos’ deal matches the one the Reds gave to infielder Mike Moustakas this offseason. They will be tied as the second-highest-paid player on the roster behind Joey Votto, who makes $25 million each of the next four seasons.
Moustakas hit .254 with 35 homers and 87 RBI last season and made the All-Star team for the third time.
Left-hander Wade Miley agreed to a two-year, $15 million contract with the Reds, a source told ESPN. The deal includes a club option for 2022 that, if exercised, can bring the total value to $24 million, the source said.
Miley, 33, went 14-6 with a 3.98 ERA and 140 strikeouts for the Houston Astros during the regular season, but he tailed off badly down the stretch and — after making just one appearance during the American League Division Series — was left off the rosters for both the AL Championship Series and the World Series.
Also, Cincinnati signed Japanese outfielder Shogo Akiyama to a three-year, $21 million contract.
Akiyama, 31, has played parts of nine seasons for Seibu of the Japanese Pacific League. The left-handed hitting Akiyama batted .303 with 20 home runs and 62 RBIs in 143 games for Seibu last season.
Drafted in the first round by Detroit in 2010, Castellanos, who turns 28 in March, has mostly played in obscurity. The Tigers made the postseason in 2014 but haven’t sniffed October since. After joining the Cubs, he was praised for the energy and hunger he brought to a team which was going in the wrong direction.
“He hasn’t won in a few years, so I completely understand that,” former teammate Ian Happ said. “What I see is just the joy of the game. Playing like a little kid. Enjoying a new team. That’s what it looks like.”
Upon joining the Cubs, Castellanos famously said that “every day is like Opening Day.”
His defense hasn’t rated as well as his offense, but he showed no issues in a difficult right field at Wrigley, though he profiles more in left. His big strength on offense is finding the gaps in left and right center.
For his career, Castellanos is a .277 hitter with 120 home runs and 460 RBIs.
The Reds haven’t been to the playoffs since 2012, when they won 90 games and lost to the Pirates in the NL wild-card game. Cincinnati then launched into a rebuild, trading away stars for prospects. The team lost at least 94 games annually from 2015-18.
The Reds decided to try to become competitive again last season and acquired Yasiel Puig, Matt Kemp, Alex Wood, Tanner Roark and Sonny Gray, who became an All-Star. Puig, Kemp and Roark were dealt during the season. Cincinnati finally escaped last place, finishing ahead of Pittsburgh with a 75-87 mark, and wasted a lot of solid pitching along the way.
With Castellanos heading to Cincinnati, Josh Donaldson to Minnesota and Marcell Ozuna to Atlanta, the top free agents are now all signed. Puig and utilityman Brock Holt are likely the top free agents remaining.
Information from ESPN’s Jesse Rogers and The Associated Press was used in this report.