Nick Castellanos almost became a member of the New York Yankees. Well, maybe almost is a stretch.
The team considered trading for him earlier this offseason as they pursued adding a right-handed bat to the lineup. Several other players who fit such a description have been linked to the team in recent weeks, including outfielder Austin Slater (signed with Detroit), outfielder Randal Grichuk (still a free agent), and infielder Ty France (signed with Philadelphia). Ultimately, the Yankees opted to bring first baseman Paul Goldschmidt back on a one-year, $4 million deal.
It’s unclear just how seriously the Yankees were considering a move to acquire Castellanos, but as the New York Post’s Dylan Svoboda and Jon Heyman report, the club was “talked out” of pursuing the embattled slugger. Per Heyman, the team “backed off after receiving mixed reviews”.
Philadelphia Has Wanted to Trade Nick Castellanos all Offseason
Nick Castellanos’s availability on the trade market was no secret around baseball. Philadelphia Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski was not shy about the team’s plans with the outfielder after the 2025 season concluded, making it clear that he would spend the offseason looking to move the 33-year-old (Castellanos turns 34 in early March). It always seemed likely that Philadelphia would need to retain a substantial portion of his contract (he was due $20 million this season) to facilitate a move.
That reality never came to fruition. The Phillies stepped up their efforts this week with pitchers and catchers reporting to spring training, even going so far as telling Castellanos not to report to camp in Florida. The team released Castellanos on Thursday, officially ending his tenure with the Phillies.
Castellanos’s time in Philadelphia came to a rough end, as The Athletic’s Matt Gelb discussed in detail. The veteran had more than one instance where his personality clashed with Phillies management, leading to problems in the dugout and clubhouse.
Nick Castellanos’s Struggles are Known
Some of those issues stemmed from Castellanos’s on-field play. Phillies manager Rob Thompson replaced Castellanos late in games for defensive reasons, which ultimately caused a rift between them, but those decisions were justified. Castellanos is not a good defensive outfielder, with limited range and a below-average arm.
At the plate, the 2025 season was the worst in his 13-year career. Castellanos hit .250/.294/.400 (88 OPS+) in 589 PA with 27 2B, 17 HR, and 72 RBI. Baseball Reference valued his season at -0.8 WAR.
Even ignoring the potential dugout and clubhouse concerns, and knowing that the Phillies would have eaten most, if not all, of his contract to facilitate a trade, it still made little sense for the Yankees to seriously pursue adding Castellanos.
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