Nick Castellanos could be the Cleveland Guardians' last opportunity to improve the lineup before Opening Day.
Up to this point, the narrative of the Cleveland Guardians' offseason has been that they’ve been way too quiet in free agency and trades for a team that had one of the worst offenses in baseball a season ago.
With teams starting to report to spring training, all of the high-impact and top-tier free agents are off the board. Even the specialized players who would have been logical fits for the Guardians on the open market have found homes.
However, Cleveland has one more chance to add an impact bat and a much-needed outfielder to the mix for the 2026 season. That player is Nick Castellanos.
The Philadelphia Phillies released Castellanos in the middle of last week, even though he had one more year and $20 million left on his deal. The outfielder and organization had a falling out after a reported incident in the dugout during a series in Miami last season.
As it pertains to the Guardians, Castellanos could be a solid fit on their roster.
May 11, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Philadelphia Phillies right fielder Nick Castellanos (8) catches a ball hit by Cleveland Guardians designated hitter Kyle Manzardo (not pictured) during the fourth inning at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn ImagesTo start, Castellanos is a right-handed hitter, and that’s something Cleveland desperately needs more of. Heading into Goodyear, the Guardians have four pure right-handed hitters on their 40-man roster.
Not only is Castellanos a righty, but he also has solid platoon splits, too. The 33-year-old owns a career OPS of .853 against left-handed pitching, while the Guardians had a team OPS of .647 off southpaws in 2025.
At the very least, Castellanos could be a platoon option for the Guardians, if that’s a role that he's interested in. It may be the only thing the team is willing to give out to. That said, a right field platoon of George Valera and Castellanos has a lot of power upside.
If anything, Castellanos is a player the Guardians could count on being available, and that’s something the team needs considering their outfield is gaining a reputation as being injury-prone.
Castellanos played all 162 games in 2024 and averaged 150 games played per season during his four-year stint with the Phillies.
So far, the Guardians' offseason has been disappointing in terms of offensive acquisition, but adding Castellanos could be the team’s one last chance
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