Oct 6, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Nick Castellanos (8) celebrates after hitting home-run in the sixth inning against the New York Mets during game two of the NLDS for the 2024 MLB Playoffs at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images Kyle Ross
The Phillies are willing to listen to what's out there for Nick Castellanos, according to Matt Gelb of The Athletic.
"The Phillies, according to multiple major-league sources, have made Castellanos available in trade talks," Gelb wrote. "They’ve shopped numerous players — namely Alec Bohm and Ranger Suárez — to gauge other clubs’ interest. All things considered, it’s not shocking they would be open to moving Castellanos."
Seemingly, the Phillies dipped their toes in these waters a year ago, as Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reported last November that the club was "open to the idea of trading Castellanos.” However, they evidently didn't get any serious takers, as ESPN's Buster Olney reported shortly thereafter that the Phillies didn't plan to trade Castellanos, noting that a "Phillies source" told him "they consider him to be an important part of the team and value his production, and have no intention of trading him."
You get the feeling that things could play out similarly this offseason with Castellanos.
Gelb goes on to note that the Phillies would likely have to eat a sizable portion of the $40 million that Castellanos is owed over the next two seasons to facilitate a trade, which makes the idea of moving him unlikely.
The thought in trading Castellanos wouldn't be to trade him for another impact piece, but more to get his money off the books and reallocate those funds elsewhere. If it would take eating a bunch of money to move Castellanos, he probably has more value to you.
Trying to evaluate what the Phillies have received from Castellanos over his first three seasons is an interesting discussion.
The pros? When he's hot, he can carry your offense. He played all 162 games in 2024. He's worked very hard to improve as a defender in right field, and his work ethic in general is off the charts.
It’s 3:00 and Nick Castellanos is already on the field doing extra hitting work. pic.twitter.com/T9Bsl2P5IQ
The cons? While Castellanos' .839 OPS in the second half of the 2024 season was great, he had just a .680 mark before the All-Star Game. For as hot as he gets, his cold stretches tend to be rough. And while he almost never makes errors in right field, he still has -28 defensive runs saved and -26 outs above average in three seasons with the Phillies.
Have the Phillies received the version of Castellanos that homered 34 times and posted a .939 OPS in 2021? No. But he still has 94 doubles and a .744 since coming to the Phillies. By no means is his contract an albatross, like Taijuan Walker's has become.
But if Castellanos is back in 2025, it furthers the need to find more contact-oriented players to fill other spots in the lineup. He is a free swinger, and the Phillies probably have too many of those for their own good.
