Nick Castellanos should be Reds primary DH whether he likes it or not

Nick Castellanos doesn’t want to DH in the National League, but he is the best fit for the spot the Reds have.

For the shortened 2020 MLB season, and perhaps beyond, the DH will be used in both leagues. Traditionalists lament the idea of the universal DH, and some current players have natural trepidation. For Cincinnati Reds outfielder Nick Castellanos, trepidation would be a mild word to describe his thoughts on the universal DH and the prospect he’ll be called upon to DH frequently.

Via John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer.

“I don’t want to DH,” he (Castellanos) said. “I chose to come to the Reds, first and foremost, I believe they can win. But also, I like being in National League where I get to play defense every day. A goal of mine is to become a better and better defender every year that I play – every game that I play is probably a more appropriate answer.”

Castellanos has spent most of his career in the American League with the Detroit Tigers. He was traded to the Chicago Cubs at last year’s trade deadline and saw time in both corner outfield spots. He has only played 41 games as a DH in his career. He signed a four-year $64 million deal with the Reds this offseason.

Should Nick Castellanos even play in the field for the Reds?

Castellanos was moved from third base to right field during his time with the Tigers. From 2014-2017, according to FanGraphs, he posted a combined total of -38 Defensive Runs Saved at the hot corner. He played 173 innings in right field in 2017, which was enough for him to post -8 Defensive Runs saved there before he posted -17 and -9 Defensive Runs saved as a right fielder in 2018 and 2019. If you prefer UZR (Ultimate Zone Rating) as a defensive metric, Castellanos “improved” to -4.9 UZR last year.

Castellanos is a very good hitter, averaging 25 home runs and 88 RBI per season over the last three seasons with a combined slash line of .287/.337/.505. Being bad defensively is one thing, but he significantly depletes his overall value just by putting a glove on.

There’s something to be said for a player hitting better because he plays a defensive position. Castellanos’ career splits, while accounting for a far smaller sample of DH at-bats, tell a story along that line.

As a 3B: 521 games-2,128 plate appearances; .754 OPS
As a RF: 300 games-1,297 plate appearances; .863 OPS
As a LF: 13 games-33 plate appearances; 1.081 OPS
As a DH: 41 games-173 plate appearances; .795 OPS

The Reds have a lot of options to use at DH, with Castellanos on a list that includes Mike Moustakas, Nick Senzel, Aristides Aquino, Jesse Winker and Shogo Akiyama. So there will surely be some sort of rotation in the spot to give guys a respite from playing the field and keep as many power bats in the lineup as possible. But Castellanos should see more time as a DH than anyone, whether he likes it or not.