Yesterday, we saw two hopeful playoff contenders make moves to improve their club for the upcoming season and beyond. In the NL Central, the Cincinnati Reds signed free agent OF Nicholas Castellanos to a 4 year/$64 million deal with an AAV of $16 million. The contract includes two opt out clauses after the 2020 and 2021 season. The 27 year old spent the 2019 season between the Detroit Tigers and Chicago Cubs hitting to the tune of a .289.337/.525 slash line with a career high 27 home runs, career high .863 OPS, 121 wRC+ and a fWAR of 2.8.
Over in the NL West, the Arizona Diamondbacks acquired CF Starling Marte from the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for 2 minor league prospects and international bonus money. Marte, entering his age 31 season, had the best year of his career statistically in 2019. A slash like of .295/.342/.503, 23 home runs, .845 OPS, 119 wRC+ and a fWAR of 3.0. Marte will slide into the Diamondback lineup as their full time CF, presumably moving their 2019 All Star Ketel Marte back into his natural position in the middle infield.
First let’s start with the Reds: GM Dick Williams has the money and he’s going for it in 2020. With the signings of INF Mike Moustakas, Japanese import OF Shogo Akiyama, SP Wade Miley and now Castellanos, they have spent a combined $164 million on these four guys alone based on their full contracts. The Reds see an opening in the NL Central. The Cubs have begun to falter quite a bit with the Brewers and Cardinals winning the division each of the last two years. The Reds have continued to improve record wise, winning 75 games last year, up from 67 the year prior. With the additions they’ve made and the pieces they currently have in guys like Votto, Suarez, Aquino, Senzel and Winker on the field and Gray, Castillo, Bauer, Garrett and Lorenzen on the mound, I can see the Reds fighting for a division title or at the very least a Wild Card spot.
I feel the same about the Diamondbacks, who finished 85-77 in the NL West last year. Sure, it was 21 games behind the division winning Dodgers, but still a good season by any measurement. Now, t
hey add Starling Marte to a lineup consisting of Ketel Marte, David Peralta, Eduardo Escobar, Carson Kelly and newly signed Kole Calhoun. Not to mention, they also surprisingly signed Madison Bumgarner to anchor a rotation that also consist of Robbie Ray, Mike Leake and Luke Weaver. It will be hard for them to fight for a division title seeing as how Los Angeles again emerges as the favorite, but Wild Card contention is not far-fetched. Same goes for the Rockies, assuming they can have a bounce back year, and the Padres who are on the cusp of a breakout season.
Realistically, the National League seems like it’s gonna be a good race this year. You can make the argument that aside from the Marlins, Giants and Pirates, that every team is in it to win it. That’s potentially 12 teams for 5 spots. Seems like it’s going to be an interesting year, to say the least.
