New report sees Nick Castellanos as a perfect buy-low fit for the Royals' offense.
The Kansas City Royals finished the 2025 season with an 82-80 record and are now looking for ways to improve their offense heading into 2026.
Bleacher Report's Joel Reuter recently put together Opening Day lineup projections for every MLB team, and he has Nick Castellanos slotting in as the Royals' designated hitter next season.
Why the Royals Make Sense for Castellanos
Reuter broke down why Kansas City could be a good landing spot for the two-time All-Star, pointing out the team's need for more run production in the lineup.
"Whether they swing a trade to acquire him on the cheap or wait until he is released as expected, Nick Castellanos looks like a good buy-low target for a Royals team that is lacking in proven run producers," Reuter wrote. "That would leave Jonathan India and Michael Massey to compete for playing time at second base, and after both players had down years in 2025, that is likely preferable to counting on both to fill starting roles."
The Royals have a strong core of hitters in Bobby Witt Jr., Vinnie Pasquantino, Maikel Garcia, and Salvador Perez, but they lacked depth in the lineup beyond those four players last season.
Witt Jr. posted another excellent campaign with an 8.0 fWAR while winning both a Gold Glove and Silver Slugger Award for the second straight year.
Pasquantino set career highs with 32 home runs and 113 RBI, and Perez became just the eighth catcher in MLB history to post two seasons with 30 home runs and 100 RBI.
Despite those standout performances, the Royals struggled to find consistent production from the rest of their lineup.
What It Would Take to Get Castellanos
The Philadelphia Phillies went 96-66 in 2025 and won the NL East, but they have made it clear that Castellanos is available this offseason.
The 33-year-old outfielder had a down year, hitting just .250 with 17 home runs and a .694 OPS in 2025, which is well below his career averages of .272 and .785 OPS over 13 major league seasons.
Castellanos is owed $20 million in 2026, which is the final year of his five-year, $100 million contract with Philadelphia.
Because of his declining production and hefty salary, the Phillies would likely need to eat a good portion of that contract to move him in a trade, which means the Royals could acquire him without giving up much in return.
If the Phillies simply release him, as many expect, Kansas City could sign him to a cheap one-year deal and take on very little risk.
Would Castellanos Be a Good Fit?
Adding Castellanos would give the Royals a proven run producer who has driven in at least 72 RBI in every full season of his career.
He also brings durability to the table, having played in 602 of a possible 648 games since signing with Philadelphia in 2022.
However, Castellanos has become a liability in the outfield, posting -12 Outs Above Average in 2025 according to Baseball Savant.
That makes him a designated hitter at this point in his career, and the Royals already have limited DH at-bats available with the aging Salvador Perez needing more time at that spot moving forward.
Still, if Kansas City can land him on the cheap, Castellanos would be a low-risk addition that could help fill the gaps in a lineup that needs more consistent run production beyond their core four hitters.