Boston Red Sox Rumors: 3 outfield free agent targets this offseason

Boston Red Sox free agent target No. 2: Nick Castellanos

Nick Castellanos had spent much of his career looking like a player on the verge of putting all the pieces together, but he just never seemed to be able to. That all changed during his second season with the Cincinnati Reds, and Castellanos cemented himself as one of the top hitters in baseball.

Castellanos finished the season hitting .309 with 34 home runs and 100 RBI’s at the heart of the Reds lineup. He seemed to hit the next level in terms of power, as this was his first season with 30+ home runs. Castellanos rightfully earned his first All Star appearance, and helped Cincy make a short run for a postseason spot in the second half of the season.

Castellanos’ swing would simply be tailor-made for Fenway Park. Of the 34 home runs Castellanos hit last season, 22 of them were hit to either left or left center field, which is the ideal spot to hit a fly ball at Fenway. With the Green Monster sitting just 310 feet away from home plate, it would be fair to expect Castellanos to deposit more than a few souvenirs into the crowd.

The main problem with signing Castellanos would be he doesn’t really have a true fit position wise. He spent most of his time in the field in right field, but the Sox already have Renfroe in right, and he’s coming off a season where he was a Gold Glove finalist for the position. Castellanos initially was a third baseman earlier in his career, so maybe you can put him at third and switch Rafael Devers over to first base.

Position issues aside, Castellanos is worth signing for his bat alone. He will probably be worth $20 million a year or a little bit more, but considering what he was able to do at the plate this past season, he’d be worth every penny. The Sox lineup is dangerous as is, but adding Castellanos may be the final piece that pushes them over the top.