Cubs: Might a Starlin Castro reunion make sense?

Once a core piece of the future, the Cubs traded Starlin Castro after the 2015 season. Might a reunion for the two parties be in order?

As the Chicago Cubs head full steam into the offseason, one area that they need to consider an upgrade is their bench. The team once had great depth on their bench but really lost that valuable bat in pinch-hit scenarios and scheduled off-days for players when they traded Tommy La Stella to the Angels after the 2018 season. They could turn to a familiar face in what would be a reunion with Starlin Castro who spent 2010 through 2015 with the team.

Castro seems like he’s been in the league forever but he’s not even 30-years-old yet. After the 2015 season, the Cubs sent him packing in a trade with the Yankees due to the emergence of Javier Baez and Addison Russell at second base and shortstop, respectively. Baez is now a full-time shortstop and Russell has regressed immensely since his breakout 2016 season. The Cubs are still searching for answers at second base and potentially have one in Nico Hoerner, but he’s still just 22-year-old.

When he was with the Cubs, Castro led all of baseball in 2011 with 207 hits and made the All-Star team that year and in 2012. He’s managed to stay extremely healthy throughout his career and still hits for average.

He’s not going to be a guy that draws a lot of walks. He’s never been that guy nor will he suddenly become that. Castro has spent the last two seasons with the Miami Marlins and produced a 0.270/0.300/0.436 line with 22 home runs and 86 RBI in 2019. On Thursday, the Marlins declined his 2020 option, thus making him a free agent.

The Cubs really need a bench bat who can hit right-handed pitching and Castro has a lifetime 0.778 OPS in such scenarios. Obviously, it will come down to the money and Castro made $11 million last season. He’d have to accept a deal far less than that and likely on a one or two-year deal until Hoerner is 100 percent ready for the big leagues.

Castro has always been a great contact hitter but he’s shown some pop in his bat the last few seasons. When he was with the Cubs, Castro was well-known for his blunders in the field, including three errors in his Wrigley Field debut, which led to a chorus of boos. Tough crowd, I know. However, he’s dramatically improved his defense, especially at second base where he had a 0.979 fielding percentage in 1012.2 innings last season.

Again, it will come down to the cost and Castro’s willingness to take on a lesser role. There are teams out there who will pay him significantly more for a full-time gig but on a worse roster.