Chicago Cubs

Cubs Reportedly ‘Still Pursuing' Nicholas Castellanos in Free Agency

Castellanos hit 16 home runs for the Cubs after his acquisition at the trade deadline

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The Chicago Cubs have a lot of decisions to make after missing the playoffs for the first time in five seasons, but could a reunion with a fan favorite be in the cards?

According to MLB Network’s Jon Morosi, the Cubs are “still pursuing” a new contract with free agent outfielder Nicholas Castellanos, and although there are other teams that have reported interest in the outfielder, there appears to still be a chance he could end up back on the North Side.

Castellanos was acquired by the Cubs just before the 2019 trade deadline and his production took off, as he hit .321 with 16 home runs and 36 RBI’s in 51 games with the North Siders.

Even if the Cubs want to spend the money to retain Castellanos, there are several issues that could complicate matters. The first is the defensive alignment of their outfield, as the team would likely prefer to keep Jason Heyward in right field rather than having him play in center, as he would likely do if Castellanos was brought back into the fold.

That could change if the Cubs end up deciding to deal Kyle Schwarber, but it’s unclear at this point whether the team will look to move the outfielder after his strong second half power surge.

The other issue that could make things tough on the Cubs is the potential for a bidding war for Castellanos’ services. Several teams have emerged as potential suitors for the outfielder, including the San Francisco Giants, according to Morosi.

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