Matt Gelb of The Athletic reported in the middle of October that the Philadelphia Phillies are expected to cut ties with Nick Castellanos during the offseason.
Whether that meant the Phillies would trade him or look to designate him for assignment, it seems likely that Castellanos won't be on the roster next season.
“The Phillies owe Castellanos $20 million next season, and team sources have indicated for weeks they expect to move on from the veteran outfielder. Castellanos is expected to be traded or released this offseason as the Phillies remake their outfield.
“At this point, a separation is preferred by all parties involved. It’s difficult to be an everyday player — and a successful one — for all of your career, only to lose playing time and have to adapt to a new role,” he wrote.
The only problem that the Phillies might run into regarding getting rid of Castellanos is the fact that they owe him $20 million next season. While that's not a lot of money to have to eat if that's what happens, it'd still be preferable if Philadelphia could move on from him and another team would take on that contract.
Regardless, it sounds like Castellanos is worried about what happens to him after his time in Philadelphia or with a new team, as he’s set to hit the free agency market in 2027.
According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the veteran outfielder has hired a new agent to represent him.
“Nick Castellanos has hired Mato Sports Management to represent him,” he posted on X.
It remains unclear why Castellanos went this route, but he also has to understand that his career is likely to take a different path than he expected.
When he landed with the Phillies, the hope and expectation was for him to be an above-average right-handed hitter who could leave the yard at any moment.
For certain points of his time in Philadelphia, Castellanos was that player, but for the most part, He was largely disappointing and a big part of the reason why the Phillies didn’t accomplish what they've been looking to in recent years.