The stalemate between Nick Castellanos and the Philadelphia Phillies is finally over. The Phillies had been trying to trade him for months, but nobody wanted to take on the slugger. The Phillies even told Castellanos not to bother showing up to spring training, as both parties knew that the bond was over.
On Thursday, the Phillies announced that Castellanos has been released.
The outfielder had been with the Phillies since 2022 and made a World Series appearance with the team in his first season in Philly. Castellanos has hit 250 career home runs, 399 doubles, 43 triples, and has driven in 920 RBIs. His lifetime .272 average and .785 OPS are respectable; however, the 33-year-old may be on the decline. 2025 was by far his worst hitting season in the majors after performing at a high level for so many years.
Castellanos started tearing it up in 2014 with the Detroit Tigers. He was there till 2019, smashing home runs and becoming one of the best sluggers in the game. He then had an OPS over .790 for six straight seasons while hitting a career high of 34 home runs in 2021 with the Cincinnati Reds. Strikeouts have always been his weakness.
It has been said that Castellanos may move to first base in the future. Whichever team brings him in next could put him in that spot. There are going to be teams interested in his power. He could return to the outfield as well, but seeing him at the DH spot or at first base makes the most sense with his age getting higher and his ability to roam the outfield getting harder and harder. He is a negative defensive WAR player, so don't expect him to do much outside of focusing on hitting for the rest of his career.
