In recent weeks, Philadelphia Phillies third baseman Alec Bohm has been grabbing all the headlines with respect to trade rumors in Phillies land. But apparently, the Phillies have another star who has now also become a top target trade as well.
The New York Post's Jon Heyman recently listed Phillies outfielder Nick Castellanos as one of nine players that headline the MLB trade market this offseason. Heyman believes that the Phillies are interested in a big shakeup, with their 32-year-old veteran potentially on the move. That stance has since been reinforced by Matt Gelb of The Athletic, as he claimed that according to multiple major-league sources, the Phillies have actually made Castellanos available in trade talks this offseason (subscription required).
Phillies Rumors: Nick Castellanos joins Alec Bohm as a top trade target
However, Gelb did emphasize one caveat that in order for a Castellanos trade to materialize, the Phillies will likely need to digest a significant portion of his remaining $40 million salary to get it done. But why would the Phillies want to do that?
Despite his defensive flaws and high strikeout rate, Castellanos has been a reliable offensive force for Philadelphia since joining them in 2022. With the ability to average 25 home runs and 90 RBI while hitting above .270 with close to an .800 OPS each year, he has delivered, for the most part, in his three-year tenure with the Phillies.
In 2024, despite enduring a huge month-long slump to start the season, Castellanos managed to turn things around drastically to become one of the Phillies’ best run producers for the rest of the season. In fact, without Castellanos, they might not have even recorded a single win during the 2024 MLB Playoffs.
In total, he batted .254 with a .742 OPS, with 80 runs scored, 30 doubles, four triples, 23 home runs and 86 RBI. More importantly, Castellanos has proven to be quite durable, with no injuries during his past two seasons and being the only Phillie to appear in all 162 games this past year.
Also, from the big picture, trading too many elite players away could be a huge turnoff to potential big free agents such as Juan Soto. Newly signed impact players will want to win with their new club and to do so often requires a solid supporting cast. Potentially moving both Bohm and Castellanos could severely discourage suitors from joining the Phillies.
But then again, if moving Castellanos is part of a much bigger scheme for president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski and the Phillies to get that much closer to a World Series championship, it may be one daring avenue they might just have to undertake.