Nick Castellanos
Along with Bohm, the Phillies have recently added another star candidate to the trade block: outfielder Nick Castellanos. Signed to a big five-year, $100 million deal back during the 2021-22 offseason, this move by the Phillies actually comes as more of a surprise. After all, Castellanos has been one of the main driving forces behind the Phillies’ offensive attack over the past three seasons with the club.
During that time frame, he has posted a .263 average and .744 OPS, with 215 runs scored, 94 doubles, 65 home runs, 254 RBI and 24 stolen bases in 455 games. Moreover, Castellanos was practically the only offensive player who showed up for the Phillies during the 2024 postseason when he hit .412 with a 1.059 OPS, with two runs scored, one double, one home run and three RBI in four games. More importantly, he delivered Philadelphia’s lone game-winning hit in the NLDS to prevent them from actually being swept at the hands of the Mets.
Despite his heroics and offensive potential, Castellanos does still have some warts in his game. In particular, his free-swinging ways have led to an abnormally high amount of strikeouts — 454 over his three seasons with the club. On top of that, his defense has still left a lot to be desired, with -28 defensive runs saved and -23 outs above average since joining the Phillies. As Castellanos isn’t getting any younger, those weaknesses could begin to amplify in the upcoming seasons.
One thing to keep in mind is the fact that any Castellanos move likely would not result in the Phillies bringing in an impact player directly from the deal. That is because with his hefty contract, which was recently suggested to be among the worst MLB contracts for 2025, there will be few teams, or if any at all, willing to part with a quality player while eating the huge salary that remains in Castellanos’ contract.
As a result, he would likely be dealt with the focus on being able to get rid of a big contract to have the resources to pursue an even bigger fish elsewhere. What better way to do so than to get it done at the Winter Meetings?