Phillies Offseason Stay or Go: Nick Castellanos

It feels like every off-season, there are rumors that Nick Castellanos will be traded. It started after the 2023 NLCS. It continued last year. But is this season finally the year where the Phillies cut ties with their right fielder? If you listen to what the rumors are, it seems this might finally be the year Nick is on the move.

Dave Dombrowski spoke to the media this week, and his comments about Castellanos certainly did not suggest he is in the plans for next season.

"I'm not going to get into specific players that are on our roster under contract, but we'll see what happens."

Nick Castellanos was a star the year before they signed him. His slash line was fantastic: .309/.362/.576/.939. So the Phillies gave him a 5-year, $100 million deal. And though we feel different now, he was the free agent that had fans more excited than Kyle Schwarber.

It has not panned out. He was bad in year 1, great in year 2, and mediocre to average in the past 2 seasons.

It has been even worse in the playoffs. His total playoff slash line since joining the Phillies is .215/.255/.403/.658. That OBP is ugly. He was actually great vs the Mets in 2024, hitting over .400 in 4 games. But he was below the Mendoza Line in 2022 and 2025.

That is not only a Castellanos problem. Lots of Phillies players have struggled once the Calendar turned to October. But the overall numbers are bad for Nick.

To his credit, he did have his moments. It was Nick who hit the big double in game 2 that almost got the Phillies back in the game. Of course, he then got thrown out at 3rd on a failed bunt attempt.

Which goes into another problem with him. He is not good on the basepaths or in the field. He does not make errors, but he lacks the range you want in an Outfielder. Hence why they replaced him in RF on so many nights. And his bat has just not carried enough weight to make up for the issues in the field.

We already know Rob Thomson will be back. And that may not bode well for Nick Castellanos. Nick did his best to be a professional. But he was clearly unhappy with being taken out of games for defensive replacements and being part of a platoon late in the year.

It came to a head a few times. He was benched in June for an "inappropriate comment" made to Thomson after Thomson pulled him for Johan Rojas for defense. Castellanos later made comments about having poor communication with Thomson.

All of that, on top of him clearly falling out of favor and losing playing time, speaks to his time not being long for the Phillies. Again, Castellanos mostly handled it well. But he seemed upset about how he was used, and the Phillies seemed to trust him less as the season went along.

Nick Castellanos still has 1 year left on his deal. At $20 million, they won't just cut him. But a trade is certainly on the table.

In past seasons, they have had difficulty finding a suitor. But with his big contract and multiple years left on the deal, it was a tough contract to move. A 1-year deal is much easier to make work in a trade. A team is not committing to him. And it likely won't take much to make the Phillies move him.

Whoever trades for him gets a solid, albiet not great, player, who is reliable to play as many games as you want him to. Meanwhile, the Phillies get rid of his contract and free up $20 million to spend elsewhere.

As for who takes over in Right Field, that is more complicated. Justin Crawford will likely join the team, though not in Right Field. He spent most of his time in either the Left or the Center. Harrison Bader's future is up in the air, but if he returns, it will be in center. So who plays right?

It could be a big signing like Kyle Tucker. There is still talk about Bryce Harper moving back to the OF, though that is not what they prefer to do. But whoever it is, it seems unlikely to be Nick Castellanos. They seemed to sour on him after 2023. But whoever it is, it feels like it won't be Nick Castellanos.

They were never able to move him, but it sounds like this will be the year they finally do.

Verdict: Go