As the Cubs are going through their offseason plans, one big name appears to be on the trade block. According to Matt Gelb of The Athletic, Nick Castellanos is expected to be traded or released by the Phillies this offseason.

Given Castellanos' frustrations with the team toward the end of the season, it’s not a surprise that he will no longer wear a Phillies uniform. The 13-year veteran was benched in June after making “inappropriate” comments to manager Rob Thomson, and Philadelphia really only viewed him as a platoon player down the stretch. 

Despite the falling out with the Phillies, the Cubs could be in play for the 33-year-old outfielder. The franchise is familiar with him after they traded for him at the 2019 Trade Deadline, and this is a player who has multiple All-Star appearances in his career. 

Back in 2019, Chicago traded two pitching prospects (Alex Lange and Paul Richan) to the Detroit Tigers in exchange for the outfielder. Castellanos then went on to hit .321 with 16 home runs, 21 doubles, and 36 RBI across 51 games with the Cubs. 

After that 2019 season, the Cubs decided to let Castellanos walk in free agency. He signed a four-year, $64 million contract with the Cincinnati Reds before eventually opting out of that deal to sign a five-year, $100 million contract with the Phillies in 2022. 

Although Castellanos was an All-Star just two years ago, the veteran has shown a noticeable decline in his performance. He has hit under .255 at the plate in back-to-back seasons, and his 17 home runs, 72 RBI, and .250 batting average this past year were a major drop from the previous seasons. 

On top of that, he was one of the worst defenders in baseball in 2025. His -12 Outs Above Average was tied with Juan Soto and Jo Adell for the worst among all outfielders, and his -10 Runs Prevented ranked 107th among all outfielders. 

With a -1.0 WAR this past season, Castellanos is not someone the Cubs should target as a trade option or in free agency. Assuming Kyle Tucker leaves in free agency, the team could be looking to add an outfielder/designated hitter to fill that spot. 

However, that player shouldn't be Castellanos. His Fielding Run Value (-12), Baserunning Run Value (-5), and Batting Run Value (-2) all ranked in the bottom of the league. Even if the Cubs let Tucker walk and fail to replace him with a big-time player, both Owen Caissie and Moises Ballesteros are much better hitting options than Castellanos would be at DH. 

For that reason, the Cubs should not even call the Phillies about a trade involving Castellanos.