Red Sox: 3 J.D. Martinez replacements Chaim Bloom can sign post-lockout

2 of 3

Sep 25, 2021; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Reds right fielder Nick Castellanos (2) reacts after hitting a walk-off home run to win the game against the Washington Nationals in the ninth inning at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-USA TODAY Sports /

Red Sox: Nick Castellanos is a J.D. Martinez replacement

Castellanos is coming off a career-best power campaign, in which he slashed .309/.362/.576 for a 140 wRC+. He’s looking to cash in on that this offseason, though his free agency was derailed slightly by the MLB lockout.

Eventually, when free agency resumes, there will be a mad dash to sign players of Castellanos’ quality. As referenced above, Bloom does want to sign a power-hitting right-handed bat. Castellanos offers just that, and could use the Green Monster to his advantage.

Castellanos’ defensive ability has come into question over the years. Given Martinez is under contract for at least one more season, the Red Sox would have to find a place in the outfield for Castellanos as they await Martinez’s eventual departure. Boston has a habit of hiding poor defensive players in the Fenway Park outfield — look no further than Schwarber last season.

While his contract won’t be cheap, Castellanos can be had for somewhere around $20 million per season, so the same mark as Schwarber, assuming that number doesn’t go up with the universal DH news. Castellanos is just 29 years old, and his bat is unlikely to fade anytime soon. Assuming the Red Sox don’t mind him blocking a potential Rafael Devers switch to DH, he’d be a great addition to Boston’s lineup.

Home/Boston Red Sox