Nicholas Castellanos traded to Cubs as he was on deck for Tigers

After the MLB trade deadline had already passed, Nicholas Castellanos was in the on-deck circle for the Detroit Tigers when he left the field and dugout completely.

It happened right before first pitch.

Nick Castellanos is no longer in the Tigers dugout and Jordy Mercer has stepped on-deck, where Castellanos was hitting.

— anthony fenech (@anthonyfenech) July 31, 2019

Wow. Jordy Mercer is now on deck warming up before first pitch.

Nick Castellanos has been scratched.

Stay tuned.

— Cody Stavenhagen (@CodyStavenhagen) July 31, 2019

Afterward, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported Castellanos had been traded to the Chicago Cubs.

#Cubs get Nicholas Castellanos, source tells The Athletic.

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) July 31, 2019

It’s certainly a vertical move for Castellanos, who’ll now get to play for a team that can contend for a title. Chicago gets a versatile player who can play third base and the outfield, and who wields a decent bat.

In 403 at-bats this season, Castellanos batted .273 with 11 home runs and 37 RBI.