Phillies, Nick Castellanos imminently parting ways: Report

The end is nigh for outfielder Nick Castellanos’ time with the Philadelphia Phillies.

It was clear throughout the second half of last season that the relationship between Castellanos and the club had deteriorated. The trust was gone, and although he entered the offseason with another year and $20 million left on his contract, Phillies management made it clear that the two sides would be parting ways.

As of Wednesday, we had a reported timeline for when the official split is set to happen.

According to Matt Gelb of The Athletic, the Phillies took down Castellanos’ photo in the hallway outside their spring training clubhouse, told him not to report to camp this week, and expected him to be gone within a two-day period.

“(Castellanos) 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,” wrote Gelb. “A Castellanos resolution — either through a trade or release — is expected in the next two days.”

One can rest assured that president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski has worked the phones this offseason in an effort to find a team willing to take on some of Castellanos’ salary. Setting a hard deadline for a trade or release could very well mean a release is coming.

If that were to happen, the Phillies would swallow the entire $20 million luxury tax payroll hit, and Castellanos would be free to sign with any of the other 29 teams. He’ll likely face the Phillies at some point during the regular season, and he’ll be looking to do serious damage in the batter’s box.

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