The Los Angeles Dodgers have been mentioned in a number of free agency and trade rumors thus far, which includes being linked to Bryce Harper as he remains unsigned.
After tending to their own players — re-signing David Freese and coming to terms with Clayton Kershaw on a contract extension — the Dodgers signed Joe Kelly to a three-year contract. They also traded Kyle Farmer, Matt Kemp, Yasiel Puig and Alex Wood to the Cincinnati Reds.
By all accounts the Dodgers remain involved in trade talks with the Cleveland Indians for Corey Kluber. They reportedly are still in the picture for Miami Marlins All-Star catcher J.T. Realmuto as well, which would satisfy a desire to acquire a right-handed bat.
In their quest to address that deficiency in their lineup, the Dodgers reportedly contacted the Detroit Tigers about Nick Castellanos. According to Jorge Castillo of the L.A. Times, the Tigers asked for Keibert Ruiz or Alex Verdugo in a potential trade:
They’ve reached out to the Detroit Tigers about outfielder Nick Castellanos, but the initial asking price was Verdugo or Ruiz, according to a person with knowledge of the situation.
Ruiz and Verdugo have been hot commodities in trade talks this winter. As one of the organization’s top prospects, the Dodgers are said to be reluctant in possibly trading Ruiz. They may be more open to moving Verdugo, though perhaps only in a blockbuster deal that would net them Kluber, Realmuto, or another player of that caliber.
Castellanos is coming off his best season with the Tigers as he hit.298/.354/.500 with 23 home runs and 89 RBI in 57 games. However, as a converted third baseman, he is considered a below-average outfielder.
The 26-year-old is eligible for salary arbitration and is due to reach free agency one year from now.
