Red Sox's biggest need will leave them debating 1 reason to sign Nick Castellanos, 1 reason not to

The Boston Red Sox, despite another middling week in the standings, finally got some offensive life from their dormant set of stars. Jarren Duran ended May on a heater, and even Caleb Durbin and Isiah Kiner-Falefa got in on the run-scoring action over the weekend.

Nevertheless, the team is short at least one big bat, which is made all the more frustrating by the extended absences of Roman Anthony, Triston Casas, and Romy Gonzalez. If the Sox hope to compete over the next few months before a future-altering decision will need to be made regarding their direction at the trade deadline, it'd behoove the front office to acquire a capable hitter for the middle of the lineup as soon as possible.

Well, what about Nick Castellanos? He was cut loose by the San Diego Padres, which was a result of his cascading offensive output (.560 OPS, 53 wRC+). That doesn't sound like the kind of player the Red Sox should be targeting, but he's a cheap, right-handed bat with a history of big power numbers. Barring another mid-June blockbuster, he might be the best we can do right now.

1 reason the Red Sox should sign Nick Castellanos

There's no denying that Castellanos was bad at the plate prior to being let go. All of his marks across the board were career lows.

But the Red Sox's right-handed hitters have also been quite terrible as a group this year. They rank 22nd in the league in wRC+ (91) and 23rd in ISO (.132), the latter of which is an unacceptable figure for a team that plays half of their games at Fenway Park while taking aim at the Green Monster in left. As such, the team isn't being shy about their pursuit of a right-handed bat.

Would signing Castellanos to a league-minimum deal — the Phillies are on the hook for the remainder of his one-year contract — solve all that ails Chad Tracy's lineup? Absolutely not. But, prior to a late-May swoon, the 34-year-old had been the recipient of some horrendous luck at the plate.

And, most importantly, Castellanos thrives in the one regard that matters most in Fenway: pulling the ball in the air as a righty. He's leaned all the way into that approach this year, and while it didn't serve him well in the spacious grounds of Petco Park, you can bet that a 32.5% pull-air rate (eighth-best in the league) would play well in Boston.

1 reason the Red Sox shouldn't sign Nick Castellanos

Unfortunately, most everything else about the two-time All-Star isn't very attractive. His contact quality and bat speed have taken a nose dive over the past two years; as a result, he's striking out at an untenable rate.

More problematically, he'd add yet another outfielder to the Red Sox's coffers. That'd only further gum up the infamous logjam, but unlike most everyone else on the roster, Castellanos can't play good defense (-80 career Outs Above Average).

Signing him would be a low-risk bet on an offensive bounce back, but nothing the coaching staff in Boston does can possibly salvage the negative value supplied by Castellanos' glove.

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