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Nick Castellanos’ mom’s Twitter hints at his next destination

ByGabrielle Starr|
Cincinnati Reds right fielder Nick Castellanos (2) grounds out in the first inning of the MLB baseball game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Washington Nationals on Saturday, Sept. 25, 2021, at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati.Washington Nationals At Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds right fielder Nick Castellanos (2) grounds out in the first inning of the MLB baseball game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Washington Nationals on Saturday, Sept. 25, 2021, at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati.Washington Nationals At Cincinnati Reds

Nick Castellanos’ mother hints that he’s headed to the Phillies

After 99 days of MLB lockout, the best part of the baseball offseason is back: the hot stove and the juicy rumors and hints that come with it.

In this case, free-agent slugger Nick Castellanos’ mom has Philadelphia Phillies fans in a lather, because she keeps liking tweets that really make it seem like he’s destined to wear the red pinstripes.

She wouldn’t be the first free agent’s family member to leave a trail of breadcrumbs for the starving fans this week; Freddie Freeman’s wife Chelsea not-so-subtly hinted that the Los Angeles Dodgers would be her husband’s destination on Instagram.

In fact, Mama Drive Into Deep Left Field liked and replied to several pro-Phillies tweets. Here’s a small sampling:

https://twitter.com/justin_pincus/status/1504599148229713921?s=20&t=jYvH1rbxldhqHh7cnZ4wtw

Is Nick Castellanos going to sign with the Philadelphia Phillies?

The Phillies were reportedly interested in Castellanos before the lockout with rumors swirling that President of Baseball Operations, Dave Dombrowski, was looking to reunite with his former top draft pick.

As General Manager of the Detroit Tigers in 2010, Dombrowski drafted Castellanos 44th overall, as their compensatory pick after the first round, which saw none other than Bryce Harper get drafted first overall.

The longtime MLB exec has been high on Castellanos for over a decade now:

"“He had a lot of stuff going on, a lot of expectations attached to him for a youngster. A lot of people focused on him, but this guy can hit.Some people think the guy’s going to be an impact bat almost immediately. Those were their words: ‘impact bat.'”Dombrowski on Castellanos, December 2012"

Dombrowski also has a long-documented habit of bringing talented players with him as he moves from one organization to the next. He brought David Price to the Tigers, and then to the Red Sox, and did the same with JD Martinez.

However, the Phillies’ division-rival Miami Marlins are also reportedly in the mix for Castellanos, and that would be a homecoming for him. The slugger grew up in Davie, a town in the Miami area.

There’s also the issue of money – a self-imposed issue – for the Phillies, who seem set on never exceeding the luxury tax, ever. Maybe if they invent an anti-aging potion that brings back 1980s Mike Schmidt; otherwise, apparently never. The Phillies just gave Kyle Schwarber a four-year, $79M contract, which, combined with their other offseason spending, puts them only approximately $10M under the threshold, not even close to what they’d need to sign Castellanos.

Of course, the team has plenty of money and could easily throw it at Castellanos, John Middleton just doesn’t want to.

But there’s a reason Mama Castellanos is on this Twitter spree. She’s either trying to throw fans off the scent, or something is really afoot.

A lineup with Bryce Harper, J.T. Realmuto, Kyle Schwarber, Rhys Hoskins, and Castellanos would be dominant beyond belief.

Do it for mom, Dombrowski.

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