Los Angeles Dodgers: Why Nicholas Castellanos is the perfect fit
By Jason Reed
1. The Dodgers can still land Bryce Harper with Nicholas Castellanos
One of the biggest reasons why I was initially against the idea of trading for Nicholas Castellanos is because it seemed as if that would be the Dodgers “splash acquisition” of the offseason that was meant to push the team over the top.
We have seen this in past years; the Dodgers do not go after the premier free agent and instead sign someone of lesser value that is meant to plug the holes that the Dodgers have, not be the superstar of the team. It has worked in some cases, in others it has not, but the Dodgers are still notorious for taking that approach.
Bryce Harper is a different animal, however, and the Dodgers seemingly have the massive star in the bag. Fans would feel slighted if the team passes on a generational talent for a slight upgrade in the outfield.
The Dodgers can land both. Castellanos is on an expiring deal, as noted earlier, and is expected to make $11.3 in arbitration by MLB Trade Rumors.
That number is identical to Yasiel Puig, who the team just traded to open up salary cap space. However, Puig was just a part of that entire deal that was meant to free up more space; chances are that the Dodgers did not want to deal Puig but that was the only way in which it could happen.
At the end of the day, Castellanos is an offensive upgrade from Puig for the same price. Throw in the fact that the Dodgers would still be trading away salary in return and it is clear that the team can afford both Castellanos contract and Harper’s.