By Shaun McAvoyShareNewsweek is a Trust Project memberThe Philadelphia Phillies have a decision to make on one of their most polarizing players this offseason.
In 2022, the Phillies inked outfielder Nick Castellanos to a five-year, $100 million contract, but in each of the past two seasons, his production has steadily declined. It is widely known that Philadelphia intends to trade the two-time All-Star as he enters the final season of his contract, but if trade talks stall this offseason, the team may still part ways with him.
When asked what the Phillies need to do to offload Castellanos in a deal this winter, MLB.com's Todd Zolecki mentioned how the team may end up releasing him if they are unable to find a trade partner.
..."They’ll probably need to eat almost all of his $20 million salary," Zolecki wrote Saturday. "Maybe they'll get lucky late in the offseason and a couple teams that got shut out for a right-handed-hitting corner outfielder will agree to pay some of his salary to take a flier that Castellanos bounces back from the worst year of his career. If the Phillies can't do that, they'll probably just release him before spring training."
Castellanos is coming off one of the worst seasons of his career, slashing .250/.294/.400 while only hitting 17 home runs and driving in 72 runs. Though the 33-year-old outfielder struggled this season, he is still a durable veteran and two-time All-Star who could make an impact
The $20 million owed to Castellanos is likely the biggest hurdle preventing a trade from getting done, but if the Phillies want to receive anything in return for parting ways with him, they may need to eat some of his contract. Either way, don't expect to see Castellanos on Philadelphia's roster at the start of next season.
More MLB: Phillies Projected To Sign Star Slugger To Huge 7-Year, $140 Million Deal
Request Reprint & LicensingSubmit CorrectionView Editorial & AI Guidelines
Add Newsweek as a preferred source on Google to see more of our trusted coverage when you search.Recommended For You
MLBPhillies Projected To Sign Star Slugger To Huge 7-Year, $140 Million Deal2 min read
MLBRed Sox Could Cut Ties With All-Star In Offseason Trade: Insider2 min read
MLBRed Sox Projected To Sign Star To 3-Year, $66M Deal After Sonny Gray Trade2 min read
MLBMets Projected To Sign All-Star To 4-Year, $80M Deal After Dominant Season2 min read
MLBPhillies Star Pitcher Projected To Sign Huge 5-Year, $110M Deal With Tigers2 min read
MLBYankees Could Trade 24-Year-Old Top Prospect, Per Insider2 min readRelated Podcasts
Top Stories
PoliticsKristi Noem Says National Guard Shooter Was ‘Radicalized’ in the US5 min read
WorldVenezuela Hits Back After Donald Trump Announces Airspace Closure4 min read
PoliticsTrump ‘Wouldn’t Have Wanted’ Second Strike on Venezuela Boat4 min read
NewsThousands of Flights Delayed, Hundreds Canceled as Winter Storm Lashes US3 min read
NewsDonald Trump Has Taken Prince Harry’s Crown8 min read
NewsTrump Administration Launches ‘Media Offender of the Week’ Tracker4 min readTrending
Donald TrumpMap Shows Donald Trump’s Approval Rating in Each State After 10 Months4 min read
WeatherWinter Storm Warning As 13 Inches of Snow To Strike: ‘Extreme Caution’3 min read
NcaaNick Saban Has Harsh Message for Ole Miss Amid Lane Kiffin Decision3 min read
NWSWinter Storm Warning as 8 Inches of Snow to Hit North and Midwest3 min read
AldiAldi Recall Update: Customers Told Discard Christmas Products ‘Immediately’3 min readOpinion
OpinionRedefining Professional Degrees Will Hurt Everyday Americans | Opinion5 min read
OpinionAI Is Coming for Our Most Intimate Communications. Congress Must Act | Opinion5 min read
OpinionConventional Wisdom: The Thanksgiving Tragedies Edition3 min read
OpinionConventional Wisdom: The Anti-Thanksgiving Edition3 min read
OpinionHow to Remain Grounded and Thankful Amid the Chaos5 min read
