At least one Major League Baseball executive believes Nick Castellanos will be back with the Philadelphia Phillies in 2024 despite trade rumors.
"I'd be shocked if someone called on him, to be honest, because that's just not a good contract," the executive said, per Jayson Stark of The Athletic. "And I'd guess that if somebody did, they'd say yes in five seconds."
Castellanos is under contract through the 2026 campaign and set to make $20 million in base salary in each of the next three seasons.
Mark Feinsand of MLB.com previously reported this offseason that the Phillies were "open to the idea of trading" the outfielder in part because of his "streaky ways and disappointing performance in the NLCS."
He hit a meager .042 in the National League Championship Series loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Yet that glosses over how impactful he was for the Phillies last season as an All-Star who slashed .272/.311/.476 with 29 home runs, 106 RBI and 11 stolen bases in 157 games. He also isn't far removed from his Silver Slugger season in 2021 with the Cincinnati Reds and wasn't a complete loss in the playoffs.
After all, he launched four home runs in the National League Division Series win over the rival Atlanta Braves.
There are some concerns with Castellanos that go beyond his contract. He was responsible for minus-nine defensive runs saved above average last season, per FanGraphs, and has never been an excellent fielder.
That likely won't change during his age-32 season in 2024, so there is an element of risk in trading for him and putting him in right field for the next three years.
It is also a hefty contract for a streaky player who just disappointed on a big stage in his most recent showing in the 2023 playoffs.
That contract may prevent any trade from becoming a reality.
