New MLB Rumors Update Nick Castellanos' Future with Phillies Amid Trade, Release Buzz

Nick Castellanos technically remains with the Philadelphia Phillies, but consider him as good as gone.

According to Matt Gelb of The Athletic, "He is still on the Phillies' roster, but there is no locker in the clubhouse for him. As the Phillies continue their quest to save a few million dollars, they have told Castellanos not to report to the team's complex this week, league sources said. A Castellanos resolution—either through a trade or release—is expected in the next two days."

A pending divorce is hardly a surprise.

Castellanos, 33, was always a liability defensively but he generally made up for it with his bat in Philadelphia, at least during the 2023-24 seasons. But he was poor in that area last season as well, hitting .250 with 17 homers, 72 RBI, 72 runs and a .694 OPS across 147 games.

Not exactly the production the Phillies expected when they signed him to a five-year, $100 million deal ahead of the 2022 season.

But Castellanos also butted heads with Rob Thomson and was benched for a game in June after reportedly making an "inappropriate comment" toward the manager after being removed from the game in a defensive substitution.

"I wasn't happy about it, spoke my mind," Castellanos told reporters at the time. "He said that I crossed a line. So, my punishment is I'm not playing."

Gelb reported in October that "the dugout incident, numerous team sources said, left players and coaches alike disgusted. The lines had been drawn."

It's likely that Castellanos would have already been traded were he on a more team-friendly contract and wasn't coming off a major down year. The Phillies signed Adolis García to play in right field and are promoting prospect Justin Crawford to handle center, while Brandon Marsh and Otto Kemp will be the likely options in left.

So Casty is the odd man out, and it's simply a matter of whether he's traded or released in the coming days.