By Jesús Alaín Fernández
The five days after the end of the World Series generate countless news stories. Some are surprising and others are expected. Let us remember that it is the deadline for teams and players to decide and report on the options provided in the signed and current contracts.
The first of those that significantly impacts the free agency of winter 2021/2022 is the reception by the Cincinnati Reds outfielder Nick Castellanos to its clause that allows it to get out of the contract and anchor in the market.
Castellanos had the season of his life in 2021. The player in full maturity of his career put the best figures in his record in terms of average with .309, homers with 34, OPS .939 and was only one career pushed from his mark with 100 (in 19 games less than the played in 2017).
All his numbers were awarded in the summer when he was selected for the All-Star Game for the first time and he even made it to the starters of the National League.
The son of Cuban Jorge Castellanos, Nicholas alexander, had commented to Bob Nightingale of the Cincinnati Enquirer: “I have great respect for the Reds organization, their history, the pride with which they play. Being able to talk and see what the best teams (of the Reds) have done, take on all those things and make them my own made me grow in the game ”.
Nick signed in 2020 a contract for 64 million and four seasons with a possibility of leaving after the first two years. If he did not take the door to free agency at the end of the 2021 season, he would have 34 million guaranteed for the next two years and an option for the team of 20 million in 2024 with two starts.
At the beginning of October he had commented that he had not yet decided what to do at the end of the season. “When everything is over and I get home, after spending some time with my family and my dog, then we will talk about it and gather information,” he said then.
“Of course it creates stress. They are major decisions, everything has to be balanced. The family, the competitiveness of the project, the finances ”.
But everything has already taken color and Nick will try to take advantage of his moment. From the hand of Scott Boras, he will seek a contract that extends his labor guarantees for at least five seasons in which the figure of 120 to 150 million sounds more than reasonable (he had 34 winners guaranteed in two and an option of 20 for the third).
Castellanos joins the crown jewels of the winter market. It only remains to wait for the offers to start pouring in and for the Florida-born to choose his new home.
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Cuban-American RESIGNED 34 million and chooses free agency