Just as Nicholas Castellanos has been a breath of fresh air for the Cubs, they’ve been the same for him. The outfielder talked openly about the emotional impact of being traded when he joined Derek Holland and host Laurence Holmes at Brickhouse Tavern for the final installment of 670 The Score’s Cubs On Deck Luncheon.
“The best way I could put it is you’re underwater for a long time and you breathe hard for a real, real long time and then you finally break the surface,” Castellanos said of leaving the moribund Tigers for a contender.
Joe Maddon remarked on the score Monday that Castellanos greets him each day with a fist bump and wishes him a happy Opening Day, since that’s what it feels like to be in a playoff chase first the first time in far too long.