Yankees Should Not Pursue Nick Castellanos

Not a Great Fit

From a Yankee standpoint, as the roster is currently constructed, it's hard to justify a bench bat with middling production, who also has had -35 outs above average and -11 defensive runs saved the last four years. It's a different story if the Yankees failed to sign Cody Bellinger or Trent Grisham.

At that point, twenty home runs a year would be fine - not great, but fine. Now that the outfield is full of proven options, it's a matter of where Castellanos would get playing time.

Aaron Judge, Bellinger, and Grisham all hold their own at the plate and in the outfield. It's not like he will be a defensive replacement late in games. Being a butcher in the outfield is fine if you're Juan Soto, but when you're not a generational bat that your teammates love and are projected for average production with a propensity to sulk, things are a little different.

Production aside, Castellanos has even been outspoken about being leery of big markets. If he has trouble with Philadelphia, how would he handle New York?

Castellanos went on Mookie Betts' podcast last September and talked about the downside of playing for a big market.

"A lot of times people will go to the big markets because they're chasing that big contract," Castellanos told Betts. "They think money is the answer. That's another reason why they'll fall out of love, right? Because they were somebody with an environment. Right? There was a feeling of who they were as a baseball player. They achieved so much and, as a reward, they wanted all of this financial security. They go somewhere else. And now you're starting over from scratch, and you don't have that luxury of finding yourself when you're getting paid millions and millions of dollars."

The Dominguez Aspect

While the Phillies would be on the hook for the rest of his deal, and he would essentially be making league minimum if he signed with the Yankees, another issue is how this would push back Jasson Dominguez on the depth chart. Unless the Yankees decide to trade Dominguez, for now, his being in the organization is a stamp of approval that they still believe in him, even if sending him to AAA doesn't appear that way.

How does it look for a young player who has done everything right? Dominguez has been a Boy Scout. He never complains despite accumulating more time in Scranton or on the bench than in a big league lineup, and for all his troubles, his spot on the team is further diminished by somebody who handles his issues the same way Stone Cold Steve Austin did in 1997?

Plus, if it's just about production, Dominguez at this point is a better player. That can change, of course. Castellanos could take off this season and look like the bat he was in Cincinnati, but for now, he's coming off a season where he hit to a 90 wRC+ and got benched.

Dominguez presents the same shoddy defense, but last season, he had a 103 wRC+. He also brings a speed element to his game that Castellanos does not. Dominguez is better, and if the Yankees can't find a reason to fit him, how could they justify Castellanos?

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