Sep 17, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Philadelphia Phillies right fielder Nick Castellanos (8) returns to the dugout after an out against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Nick Castellanos-Phillies Saga is Music to Cardinals' Ears

Originally posted on St. Louis Cardinals on SI
By Patrick McAvoy | Last updated Feb 12, 2026 10:03 AM ET

The St. Louis Cardinals should be keep a close eye on on the Philadelphia Phillies right now.

St. Louis has been open about the fact that the franchise is open to adding one more right-handed bat. Chaim Bloom said as much while speaking to Tom Ackerman on "Sports on a Sunday Morning" on KMOX Sports on Feb. 8.

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"I sound like a broken record here," Bloom said of adding a right-handed bat. "We haven't lined up on it just yet. I think I said this last time. There's a couple of guys that we've made some runs at whether it was trades or free agency where it didn't line up with certain guys for various reasons. We're going to continue to do that. Nothing up our sleeve at the moment. I expect that this is something that we'll probably actually go into camp as we continue to look and improve our roster."

The Cardinals should be on the phone with the Phillies now

Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

There aren't a ton of options available right now, but the Phillies have someone who could fill a hole for St. Louis: Nick Castellanos. Cardinals insider John Denton made the case for Castellanos on Feb. 8 and the idea makes even more sense now. There have been rumors and reports out there all offseason that the Phillies want to move on. So much so that The Athletic's Matt Gelb reported that the Phillies have told the two-time All-Star not to report to Spring Training.

Castellanos is just 33 years old and seemingly would be easy to bring to town if the Cardinals wanted to, seeing how the Phillies seem to just simply not want him any longer. He's owed $20 million in 2026 in the final year of his five-year, $100 million deal. He's a veteran, right-handed bat with power. If the Cardinals want a right-handed bat for the outfield, there really aren't many better options at this point. Plus, with the Phillies seemingly desperate to get rid of him, could that get Philadelphia to eat a chunk of his salary for 2026? If so, it would be a no-brainer to go after him.

Lars Nootbaar isn't expected to be ready for Opening Day. Adding someone like Castellanos would immediately fill the hole and give St. Louis an option in the middle of the order.

This article first appeared on St. Louis Cardinals on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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