Phillies players are scheduled for their first official workout next Monday. It can make a bad situation if Nick Castellanos he is still in the group. Matt Gelb of The Athletic reported at the end of last season that the Phils would either trade or release the outfielder. President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski has confirmed as much on the record, pointing to the need to change the venue.
Keeping Castellanos on the 40-man roster in Spring Training would be an unnecessary distraction. It’s no surprise that the Phils are motivated to do something during the coming week. “We’re doing everything we can to get through (Monday),” Dombrowski told reporters (via Scott Lauber of The Philadelphia Inquirer). “I’ll leave it at that for now.”
Dombrowski noted that they “(continue to) talk to the clubs” in trying to organize a job. Whether that is the art of the games should be seen soon. Castellanos won’t give the Phillies any significant chances. They are trying to release a portion of the $20MM salary he is owed in the final season of a five-year contract.
The release would leave the Phils on the hook for all but the league minimum of $780K, assuming he signs a minor league deal with another team. The hope is to find a team willing to eat a few million dollars of that salary rather than wait until the Phillies release him. If Castellanos becomes a free agent, he will obviously have a choice of where to sign. He doesn’t have that freedom if the team is lining up a trade that saves the Phillies some money.
The outfielder’s relationship with Philly manager Rob Thomson appears irreparable. Castellanos was benched for a game midway through last season after he made what the manager called an “inappropriate comment” after being sent off for defensive purposes. As his playing time dwindled, Castellanos took a shot at Thomson’s communication skills. Philadelphia signed a veteran captain this offseason and added Adolis García on a $10MM free agent deal to replace Castellanos as an everyday right fielder.
Castellanos is entering his age-34 season. He is coming off a .250/.294/.400 showing with 17 home runs over 589 plate appearances. He’s been around for a long time and has twice surpassed 20 home runs in his time in Philadelphia, but his batting average (.260/.306/.426) is exactly league average. That’s not what the Phillies had in mind as Castellanos is arguably the best defensive outfielder in the game. He should be a fully designated striker but it is clear that he does not have this glamor in the team Kyle Schwarber.
FanGraphs and Baseball Reference each had Castellanos below replacement level last year. That said, a team that could give him DH at-bats should view him as a versatile righty bat. The acquisition costs will be minimal, and a 20-homer season with solid numbers against left-handed pitching doesn’t seem out of the question.
The Padres are looking for another bat in the DH/bench mix and have made an unsuccessful run at signings. Paul Goldschmidt away from the Yankees. Keepers can use a right-handed complement for left-handed bowlers Kyle Manzardo, George Valera again CJ Kayfus between first base, right field and designated hitter. No team has had fewer home runs or a lower slugging percentage from right-handed bats than Cleveland. The Marlins are ranked 25th in pitching among righties and don’t have a clear answer at first, and Castellanos is a Miami native. His old team in Detroit has no right-wing power other than that Spencer Torkelson and can use him in a short-team role at DH closer Kerry Carpenter.
