The Philadelphia Phillies have a lot of big decisions to make this winter, and one of the big ones on the horizon is what they end up doing with right fielder Nick Castellanos.
In the final year of a $100 million deal, his $20 million contract is difficult to trade, despite that being the Phillies' preferred path forward. Amid the trade rumors surrounding Castellanos, he made an appearance on MLB Network.
During that appearance, Castellanos was asked about his thoughts on making a position switch to first base. The former third baseman and current outfielder revealed that he would "really welcome" such a change if needed.
Phillies' Nick Castellanos reveals feelings on position change to first base
"It was brought up to me," Castellanos said, "and honestly, it's something that I really welcome... If someone needs me to do that."
Nick Castellanos on the idea of playing first base:
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) December 5, 2025
"It was brought up to me and honestly, it's something that I really welcome... If somebody needs me to do that." Pic.twitter.com/sikqEtQbTj
Castellanos making this change from the outfield to the infield wouldn't be the first time such a change has happened in his big league career.
Early on with the Detroit Tigers, Castellanos was a third baseman. But he soon made the move to the outfield full-time, just a few years into his MLB career.
Since 2018, he's exclusively played in the outfield, primarily as a right fielder, as his time in the infield came to an end in 2017 after spending 129 games at the position for Detroit.
Now, nine years after his last stint in the infield, Castellanos could be returning to take up a spot at a corner once again, this time on the opposite side of the diamond.
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While this is an unexpected move for Castellanos to make, it could make him slightly more appealing for a team in a trade, which would be good news for the Phillies.
He's one of, if not the worst, defenders in baseball as a right fielder. The Phillies are trying to move on from him there for that reason, and if he could make the move to first base, he might be more appealing in trade talks.
His large $20 million contract for 2026 makes him a difficult sell, but the appeal of a move to first base could open the door for more teams to be interested.
No offseason plans are drastically altered with this comment from Castellanos, but it's something to monitor as a potential factor in his trade market this winter.
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