Nicholas Castellanos spoke eloquently about his experience dealing with the Cubs this offseason – which is to say, he experience not dealing with them. And yet, the Cincinnati Red appears to harbor no ill will towards the Cubs. Instead, he offered nuanced insight and thoughtful considerations about the challenges facing ownership, per The Athletic’s Sahadev Sharma. Said Castellanos, “I don’t know the intricacies of owning a team. The only thing I can speak on when it comes to the Cubs is what a tremendous and incredible soul that organization has when it has life. The only thing I would care about if I owned the Cubs would be to give it as much life as possible. It’s hard, I don’t know what it’s like to own a business.” Polite and diplomatic as he may be, Castellanos does offer an implicit criticism of a Cubs organization that has exhibited, shall we say, less “life” than in years past. Though Castellanos seems to understand and accept why the Cubs made no contact with him after his exit interview, he did wonder broadly about the lack of interest from teams league-wide. Let’s check in on some fifth starter races..
- Cubs’ manager David Ross gives Tyler Chatwood the lead in the race for the Cubs’ fifth starter role, tweets MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian. Alec Mills is also a contender for the role, though whoever wins the spot on opening day is likely to keep it until performance dictates otherwise. Ross has no interest in modernizing his approach to the fifth starter role, preferring to let players earn a role in spring training and enter the season thusly, per Bastian. Mills is out of options, but he’s a heavy favorite to land a bullpen spot if he can’t unseat Chatwood for the rotation.
- Joe Ross has pole position to break camp as the fifth starter for the World Champion Washington Nationals, per MASN’s Mark Zuckerman. Austin Voth has pitched well enough to provide a legitimate challenge, but given that both players are likely to make the team, Ross has the track record to give him an edge. He also has the gaudy bullpen ERA to suggest he’s best utilized in the rotation. It’s fair to question the significance of rotation/bullpen splits, but few can boast a Jekyll-and-Hyde routine like Ross’ 2019. The 26-year-old put up an 11.17 ERA over 19 1/3 innings as a reliever, only to counter with a 3.02 ERA in 44 2/3 innings as a starter during the second half. Voth, meanwhile, is more of a late-bloomer at age-27, and he has yet to be tested in a relief capacity. Since making his professional debut in 2013, he has just 3 minor league relief appearances to go with 3 major league appearances out of the pen. Since the right-hander is out of options (as is Ross), Voth is likely to get his first real taste of bullpen life in 2020.
Chatwood is a so really good pitcher not a bad contract like Heyward, kimbrel, Darvish
Darvish is not a bad contract at all
….and Chatwood is not a so really good pitcher either. Whatever that is.
Really? They’ve paid him $50 million to pitch to an 8-11 record with an over 4 ERA. Even last year, his “good” year he was 6-8 with a 3.98 ERA. Let me tell you you can get better pitching than that for $125 million.
His first year he was injured. Get over it.
And you go buy win loss record? You think that is how you value a pitcher?
So then, you’ve not watched chatwood pitch in a Cubs uniform. HE’S TRASH
2018 Chatwood was trash, but not last year. He wasn’t necessarily worth his contract, but he was a productive pitcher at least.
All teams try to stay under cap yet so many articles are oblivious to cap restrictions. There’s prob 4-5 guys making more than castellanos on cubs they wish they didn’t have. Cubs committed those funds and now they are paying the consequences. Is what it is.
Same w Phili and realmuto
27 teams could have signed Castellanos at $30,000,000 a year and still not came anywhere near the cap.
Only a very small number of teams worry about “cap restrictions”
Ross likes SHATWOOD??? This is going to be worse than I thought
Sounds like a rotation susceptible to painful splintering at the back end
Walkwood is the proper name
The “Ross” in the headline did double duty here.
Efficiency of headline?
meatballs
What do ya know. Cubs article and here comes Chi Sox Fan running for meaningful content.
I’m trying to decide, are you a 40 yr old that lives in his grandmas basement, or just a lonely incel?
Chatwood / Lester just about ready for the glue factory bring in some new blood.
Half of the starters in the league are. Always been. Both on last contracts with Cubs. Lester
tires in middle of season. They force him to go through it. He need to be skipped a few times
Nice to see Mighty Joe Ross get another look. Voth is also deserving based on last season But Joe when health does good as a starter.
I like Voth’s 1 whip vs Ross’s 1.4+ in the starting rotation.
Maybe Castellanos nobody had a need for a 1 dimensional player?? Who wanted above average player $$$.
Castellanos rakes and no one cares about defense these days. Don’t worry, he’ll opt out at the end of the year and if the Cubbies get their stuff together they can resign him.
7buzzinhornets your right about defense, the Cards put horrible outfielders on the field solely for the bats. More teams are doing that. I think Castellanos is going to be an MVP candidate when it’s all over in 2020 and he will opt out
Chatwood leading at this point has to be a money thing..cause mills has clearly been the better pitcher so far….not to mention he pitched well last year in the few starts he got late in the season
Sorry Cubbies, he’ll like Cincy & b with a winner, should have signed him when you had ur chance!
Actually, this interview explains BOTH opt out clauses in his contract. Total Cub love fest. I actually think I don’t trust him to play in Cincy now, ESPECIALLY against the Cubs.