Cincinnati Reds All-Star Outfielder To Opt Out Of Contract

According to Jon Heyman, Cincinnati Reds outfielder Nick Castellanos will "obviously" opt out of his current contract this winter. Castellanos has two years left on his deal that would pay him $16 million per season. However, given the fact that he is coming off of an All-Star campaign, it makes sense for him to test the market.

Nick Castellanos will obviously opt out of his deal with $34M and 2 years to go. Still only 29, he posted a .939 OPS for the Reds this year. The Reds do have interest in retaining him following his All-Star season.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) October 20, 2021

In 138 games this season with the Reds, Castellanos had 34 home runs, 100 RBIs and a .309 batting average. This kind of production at the plate makes it entirely understandable that the Reds would still try to re-sign him if he opts out. However, if he becomes a free agent, he will have a plethora of takers. Therefore, he would be in line for a significant raise.

Castellanos also is a pretty versatile player, as he has experience at third base as well. This also could end up helping his overall value, too.

We will have to wait and see where Castellanos ends up playing next season. Although Cincinnati has been a great fit for the 29-year-old, there's no guarantee that he will re-sign there on a new contract.