One Philadelphia Phillies reporter gives an update on where the team stands with Nick Castellanos as spring training nears.
Dave Dombrowski made it pretty clear earlier in the offseason that the Philadelphia Philies were ready to move on from outfielder Nick Castellanos, even though he still has one more year left on his contract.
However, with spring training officially starting in just a couple of weeks, the Castellanos-Phillies saga still doesn’t have a resolution. Technically, the veteran is still on the Phillies roster, but it won’t be like that for long, according to Matt Gelb of The Athletic.
The reporter recently made an appearance on MLB Network and gave an update on where things stand between Castellanos and the Phillies, and he made it clear the outfielder won’t be with the team next season, one way or another.
“I mean, his role is that he won't be on the roster. Before spring training starts, Castellanos will either be traded or released. That's been the plan all along,” Gelb said.
“I think they've been waiting to see what kind of trade partner they could find, if they could save a few million dollars. He owed $20 million in 2026. It’s the last year of his contract. He won't be on the roster. He won't be reporting to Tampa.”
May 17, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Nick Castellanos (8) looks on against the Pittsburgh Pirates in the third inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn ImagesCastellanos owns a career .785 OPS, but saw his production dramatically drop in 2025, slashing .250/.294/.400. He even saw his rope diminish from an everyday player to a platoon bat against left-handed pitching.
Castellanos’ OPS+ dropped from 104 to 81 just from 2024 to 2025 alone, and with Castellanos being 33 years old, it may be difficult for him to ever return to his All-Star self, which he was in his first year in Philadelphia.
The Phillies don’t have much, if any, leverage in trade discussions centered around Castellanos. Their best bet is finding a team desperate for outfield help or a right-handed bat, and hope they can find some middle ground so Philadelphia doesn’t end up eating all of Castellanos remaining contract.
Other than waiting to see whether the veteran is traded or released, nothing else has changed, and Castellanos won’t be in the fold for the Phillies in 2026.
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