While the Cubs and Nicholas Castellanos have reportedly expressed mutual interest in a reunion, it’s hard to imagine both parties agreeing to a contract unless Theo Epstein frees up payroll. The current payroll for 2020 projects to between $210-215 million after arbitration, benefits, and 40-man minor league costs, leaving little room for splashy free-agent deals.
Castellanos may be worth as much as $24 million annually because he’s averaged 2.9 WAR over the last two seasons and teams have paid roughly $8 million per win over the last couple of years.