Philadelphia Phillies willing to trade All-Star right fielder Nick Castellanos: Report
The Phillies are open to trading outfielder Nick Castellanos, according to a report from MLB.com. There are no indications Philadelphia is actively discussing Castellanos in trade talks, but his streaky performance at the plate and his remaining contract of $20 million per year for the next three seasons could have the Phillies willing to move on. They will likely have to pay part of that salary to attract potential trade partners.
Castellanos, 31, hit .272/.311/.476 with 29 home runs this season. He started the postseason with a bang, going 9 for 23 (.391) with four home runs in the Wild Card Series and Division Series. Then he hit bottom in the NLCS, getting one hit in 24 at bats (.041).
After posting solid first-half numbers in the regular season and making the All-Star team, Castellanos saw his production dip in late summer, prompting manager Rob Thomson to drop him to as low as eighth in the batting order. He batted no higher than sixth after Sept. 8.
Late Friday afternoon on X, ESPN's Buster Olney reported a Phillies source countering the rumor in a tweet stating, (the Phillies) aren't interested in moving Nick Castellanos. They consider him an important part of the team and value his production, and have no intention of trading him.
Tuesday, the Phillies announced two-time Most Valuable Player and 2023 Silver Slugger designated hitter Bryce Harper is the team's first baseman of the future, which likely means the franchise is moving on from slugger Rhys Hoskins. A trade of Castellanos could however pave the way for a Hoskins reunion and Harper could easily shift back to right field.
Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said the front office and Thomson came to the conclusion Harper was the best option at first base. The 31-year-old made 36 starts there late in the season and 13 more in the playoffs. Initially, Harper only saw action as the designated hitter while a mix of Alec Bohm, Jake Cave and others handled 1B after Hoskins tore his ACL during spring training.
Another option if Castellanos were to be moved is the free agent market, where Jorge Soler and Teoscar Hernández are among the right-field options, so the Phillies could take the $20 million owed to Castellanos annually to sign a replacement.
This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Phillies might move on from right fielder Castellanos, says MLB.com
