Phillies Need To Part Ways With Veteran Outfielder Soon

The Philadelphia Phillies need to part ways with veteran outfielder Nick Castellanos before spring training begins. All offseason, the Phillies have said Castellanos will be traded or released at some point. A trade does not appear to be happening imminently. Additionally, Castellanos is owed 20 million dollars this season, which would complicate a potential deal. As a result of that salary, a potential trade return would be minimal. Castellanos has been the subject of offseason trade rumors for multiple years before the conversation shifted to a potential release this offseason. If a team were going to trade for Castellanos this offseason, it would have happened already. The best course of action is to eat the money and move on immediately.

In 2025, Castellanos had a .250/.294/.400 line along with 17 home runs and 72 RBI in 147 games. This past season, Castellanos recorded a 90 wRC+ and a .298 BABIP as well. Castellanos lost playing time down the stretch after the arrival of Harrison Bader and finished the season in a platoon with Max Kepler. Defensively, Castellanos is one of the worst fielders in baseball right now. To add to that, Castellanos had an abysmal .133/.133/.267 line with no home runs and three RBI in four postseason games. Castellanos had a -2 wRC+ and a .167 BABIP in the postseason. While the sample size was limited, Castellanos did not do much to help the Phillies’ lineup in the NLDS.

Phillies Should Part Ways With Veteran Outfielder

Roster Construction Considerations

Releasing Castellanos would free up a 40-man roster spot for Justin Crawford. It is widely expected that Crawford will be the Phillies’ centerfielder this season. Crawford is currently a non-roster invitee to spring training. Moreover, Crawford will need to be added to the 40-man roster at some point. Releasing Castellanos is the easiest way to do this. This allows the Phillies to keep other players on the 40-man roster for the time being who are competing for roster spots. If they need to make further 40-man roster moves, they could be made at a later time. However, getting Crawford on the 40-man roster is the first order of business on that front. The sooner this is done, the easier it will be to make the end-of-spring-training 26-man roster decisions.

Playing Time And Other Factors

With the arrival of Adolis García, there is no playing time for Castellanos if he stays. The last bench spot should go to a player who has center field experience. Castellanos has volunteered to play first base for a team, but that will not happen with the Phillies. Keeping Castellanos around to trade him at the end of spring training if he plays well is wishful thinking. Castellanos and manager Rob Thomson clearly do not see eye to eye as well. While the Phillies have several players participating in the World Baseball Classic, which will open up playing time, the relationship seems irreparable. Giving other players a chance to play over a guy who won’t be on the 26-man roster is more beneficial to the team.