The Philadelphia Phillies entered the offseason with a clear goal of readjusting the lineup and roster after back-to-back disappointing NLDS exits.
Kyle Schwarber is back on a $150 million deal, and JT Realmuto is a priority re-signing target. But, for Nick Castellanos he's the subject of trade talks, as the Phillies are shopping the $100 million outfielder.
According to a report from Todd Zolecki of MLB.com, the Phillies aren't drawing the interest they would've hoped to get on Castellanos. Around MLB, teams are showing little to no interest in the disgruntled star outfielder.
Phillies get bleak trade market update on Nick Castellanos
"Several teams could use a right-handed-hitting corner outfielder like Castellanos." Zolecki writes. "But teams haven't expressed much interest in him. Some aren't interested at all, even if the Phillies eat most or all of his salary."
Despite Castellanos being a rarely available right-handed hitting outfielder, there's little to no interest in trading for him.
His poor defense, which has the case to be the worst in MLB, and his regressing offensive numbers make him not an appealing trade target.
He's under contract for one more season at $20 million total, and that contract mark is far too rich for someone to trade for and take on.
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But, even if the Phillies cover part of the contract, teams are still not showing interest. If there is any indication of a player's trade market, it's that even if the contract is significantly cheaper, teams still won't swing a deal.
With the Phillies' plan to move on from Castellanos by the start of the 2026 season, they might end up releasing the two-time All-Star outfielder.
While he had a few solid years with the Phillies, getting to a.788 and.742 OPS in 2023 and 2024, respectively, his 2025 OPS of.694, combined with his poor defense, led Castellanos to a -0.8 bWAR season, by far the worst of his MLB career.
As things stand, a trade doesn't look likely with Castellanos. Things could change as the free agent and trade markets for right-handed hitters dwindle, but for now, the Phillies are looking poised to release Castellanos due to a lack of interested teams around MLB.
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