Sports
MLB Rumors: Reds Interested in Nicholas Castellanos, Marcell Ozuna
Scott Kane/Getty ImagesThe Cincinnati Reds struggled at the plate last season, finishing 12th in the National League batting average, on-base percentage and runs scored.According to Jon Paul Morosi of MLB.com, the franchise is looking into third baseman Nicholas Castellanos and outfielder Marcell Ozuna as possible free-agent options to help address those offensive woes.Castellanos had 27 home…
Scott Kane/Getty Images
The Cincinnati Reds struggled at the plate last season, finishing 12th in the National League batting average, on-base percentage and runs scored.
According to Jon Paul Morosi of MLB.com, the franchise is looking into third baseman Nicholas Castellanos and outfielder Marcell Ozuna as possible free-agent options to help address those offensive woes.
Castellanos had 27 home runs, 73 RBI and a .289 batting average for the Detroit Tigers and Chicago Cubs last season. He'll be entering his age-28 campaign in 2020.
Meanwhile, the 29-year-old Ozuna hit .241 with 29 home runs and 89 RBI for the St. Louis Cardinals.
The Reds should have strong competition for both Castellanos and Ozuna, according to Morosi:
“The Cardinals appear to have a better chance of retaining Ozuna than the Cubs do with Castellanos, whom they acquired from Detroit at the trade deadline. Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch first reported the Reds, White Sox and Rangers all have shown interest in Ozuna, with the Braves another potential landing spot.
“In addition to that group, the Giants and D-backs have at least checked in with the representatives for Ozuna.“
The Reds finished fourth in the NL Central last season with a 75-87 record. Their pitching staff was largely exceptional and doesn't need too much offseason work. Staff ace Luis Castillo struck out 226 batters en route to a 15-8 mark and a 3.40 ERA, and newcomer Sonny Gray paced the starters with a 2.87 ERA.
But the batting order lacks pop outside of third baseman Eugenio Suarez, who broke out for 49 home runs and 103 RBI to go along with a .930 OPS. Yasiel Puig, who was second on the team in home runs, was traded to the Cleveland Indians in July and is currently a free agent.
Jesse Winker (16 home runs, 38 RBI and .830 OPS) and Nick Senzel (12 home runs, 42 RBI, .742 OPS) offer hope for the future, as they're both in their mid-20s and are under team control until the mid-2020s. However, the Reds need more pieces in place to compete with some power-packed National League lineups such as the Milwaukee Brewers and Atlanta Braves.
The Reds seemingly have the right manager in place, with first-year skipper David Bell having overseen an eight-win improvement from 2018. Cincinnati was a bit unlucky, too, as Baseball Reference lists its Pythagoeran win-loss at 80-82, five wins better than its actual mark. The Reds had outscored their opponents for the season until a late five-game losing streak.
The Reds will begin attempting to snap their six-year playoff drought on March 26, 2020, when they host the NL Central champion St. Louis Cardinals to open the season.
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