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Nick Castellanos: Dodger Stadium October 2025.
There’s been much trade speculation and rumors so far this offseason surrounding Phillies veteran outfielder Nick Castellanos, and Phillies Beat Writer Todd Zolecki did, in fact, state that sources told him Castellanos will either be traded or released this offseason.
Castellanos, age 33, did in fact respond to such trade speculation by appearing on MLB Network’s MLB Hot Stove Friday, December 5th in which he answered a question regarding his outlook for 2026, in which he stated; “All I know is that this offseason, I know that I wanted to just live as simple as possible, focus on training and being in a great spot just so I’m physically ready for 162 games next year. You know?”
Castellanos went on to acknowledge the noise surrounding his predicted departure, in which he later adds, “There’s a lot of stuff right now that’s out of my control as far as like the trade talks and everything. So I’m just trying to focus on making sure today, I get done what needs to get done. Whatever happens is going to happen.”
Castellanos Is Open To Position Change
When asked about the possibility of playing first base moving forward, whether it be with the Phillies or a different team, Castellanos stated, “Going to first base is something that I can do, and I would enjoy, if a team or somebody needs me to do that.”
While Castellano’s openness to changing positions could help the Phillies in finding a trade partner, what won’t be easy is to trade Castellanos when he’s owed $20 million in 2026. However, the $20 million price tag is only for next year, as Castellanos’ five-year, $100 million contract he signed with the Phillies in March of 2022 will expire at the end of the 2026 season.
It was a mixed 2025 season for Castellanos in Philadelphia, in which his overall numbers weren’t horrible with a .250/.294/.400/.694 slash line, but they weren’t good either. His offense and defense declined, posting a -0.8 WAR (Wins Above Replacement), and his OPS fell below .700 for the first time since 2022. He was below average as a defender and hitter in 2025.
Castellanos and Phillies Relationship Straining
Castellanos was also benched on June 17th after he reportedly “made an inappropriate comment” to manager Rob Thomson. Since this incident, it seems the Phillies’ relationship with Castellanos has only continued to sour. Zolecki reported how Phillies President of Baseball Operations, Dave Dombrowski, had told the media during the GM Meetings in Las Vegas that, “a change of scenery might be beneficial for Castellanos.” The Phillies also reportedly attempted to trade Castellanos “the past two offseasons”, according to Phillies Beat Writer Todd Zolecki of MLB.com.
We do know that the Phillies are trying to trade Nick Castellanos, and Castellanos himself has seemingly come to terms with the possibility of being traded. Still, the larger question is: which team would be in the market for Castellanos? He’s 33 years old, has one year remaining on his contract, but at no cheap cost ($20 million), begging the question of just realistically how much of that contract the Phillies will have to end up paying if they can trade him? And if not, do they go through with releasing him?
It’s also worth noting that if Castellanos is released, a team could sign him for the league minimum ($780,000 in 2026), according to Spotrac. If the Phillies do release him, they, on the other hand, will still be on the hook for the remaining $20 million he’s owed in 2026.
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