Castellanos Points Out Tigers' 'Biggest Mistake' That Closed Competitive Window

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Photo credit Duane Burleson / Stringer

It's no secret how Nicholas Castellanos feels about analytics. He made his feelings clear on the matter, several times, during his time with the Tigers. 

In short, he doesn't trust statistics that don't value intangibles. 

In a conversation with 97.1 The Ticket about a year ago, Castellanos had this to say about his former teammate, Torii Hunter: 

Castellanos"I don't care what the analytics are on Torii Hunter right now in his 44 year old season. He's worth 20 million dollars because of his presence in the clubhouse & that alone translates to winning which is what I feel like baseball should be most about. Thats my message

— Jeff Riger (@riger1984) September 20, 2018

Castellanos came back to the subject, and back to Hunter, in a recent interview with USA Today. This time, he went so far as to say the Tigers' "biggest mistake" during his seven-year tenure with the team was their decision to let Hunter walk in free agency after the 2014 season. 

That was the last time Detroit made the playoffs. 

“The biggest mistake the Tigers made was not signing Torii Hunter back. Regardless what his analytical performance said, you can’t value the centerpiece in the clubhouse. Someone with the same WAR is not going to provide the same thing. And whoever says it is the same has not played, endured, been in a clubhouse, or ridden the ebbs and flows of the game," Castellanos said.

In two seasons with the Tigers, Hunter hit .295 with 34 homers, 167 RBI and a .783 OPS. He provided 3.0 WAR. His numbers dipped a bit the second season -- his WAR was down to 0.7 -- and the Tigers chose to move on. 

It was probably the right decision. Hunter signed with the Twins, where he hit .240 with a .702 OPS and finished with a WAR of minus-0.6. He retired in the offseason. But to Castellanos, it cost the Tigers a leader in the clubhouse and potentially another shot in the playoffs.

A couple years later, Detroit tore things down and began the rebuild that would eventually send Castellanos to the Cubs. He's pretty darn happy with his new team -- and his new team is pretty darn happy to have him. 

“When I got traded to the Cubs, it was like I was called up to the big leagues," he told USA Today. "I’m waking up excited to compete every day playing for something. It sucks when you’re 28 games out, and it's June 4. There’s no way around that."

Castellanos, a free agent after this season, is hitting .365 with nine homers, 16 RBI and a 1.112 OPS in 25 games with the Cubs, who are in a neck-and-reck race with the Cardinals for the NL Central title. 

Maybe Chicago should bring in Hunter for the final push.