The Philadelphia Phillies are coming off a 96-win season. They won the National League East, but exited early after losing to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Their disappointing ending should have set them up to add key players this offseason. However, the Phillies have whiffed on a few key free agents. Although they seem to be done adding to the team, Philadelphia still has hopes to trade Nick Castellanos before spring training.
The Phillies were able to re-sign both J.T Realmuto and Kyle Schwarber. They also acquired Adolis Garcia after he was waived by the Texas Rangers. Adding an outfielder and bringing back their designated hitter means Castellanos is left without a position.
The Phillies were hoping to trade him earlier in the offseason, but nothing has materialized. However, Philadelphia fully expects to trade Castellanos before spring training begins, per Todd Zolecki of MLB.com.
Castellanos is in the last year of his contract, but the $20 million price tag is keeping teams from renting the outfielder for the season.
Nick Castellanos Time With the Phillies
GettyNick Castellanos has played four seasons in Philadelphia.
Castellanos joined the Phillies after a phenomenal 2021 season with the Cincinnati Reds. He has not found that same success in Philadelphia, though.
In four seasons with Philadelphia, the 33-year-old owns a .260/.306/.426 with 82 home runs, 326 RBI, and a 1.3 WAR. His OPS+ of 100 is exactly the league average. Over those four years, Castellanos has made one All-Star appearance, as well.
The best part of Castellano’s game is his durability. He has played at least 136 games in every season with the Phillies. In 2024, he played all 162 games.
Last season, Castellanos appeared in 147 games, owned an OPS of .694, and he finished with a negative WAR. The decline in power and defensive ability makes it easy to see why the Phillies are hoping to trade him before the year starts.
The only problem is finding a team willing to take on some of his contract, while still receiving a fair return.
What is Castellanos Worth?
GettyNick Castellanos is still owed $20 million for the 2026 season.
The Phillies, per Zolecki, are looking for a team to eat part of Castellanos’ $20 million salary for the 2026 season. He is a free agent after the year ends, and an extension does not seem likely. Whichever team decides to trade for him will not want to take on too much of his contract for a season-long rental.
Keeping that in mind, the team that acquires Castellanos has to be able to afford him. He will likely be a designated hitter, but can still hold his own in right field. Another important note is that Castellanos does not hold a no-trade clause. The Phillies may trade him to whichever team they deem fit.
Philadelphia should not expect to receive a huge return for Castellanos. Nolan Arenado was recently traded, and the Cardinals got just one prospect in the deal. They were also forced to eat a lot of his contract.
Arenado can be compared to Castellanos in terms of age and offensive talent, but the situations are different. Still, the Phillies should use that Arenado trade as a benchmark for their expectations.
If a trade does happen, Philadelphia will most likely have to eat a lot of the contract, while not receiving a superstar-type return.
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