Phillies predicted to dump embattled $100M veteran at winter meetings

Sometimes, a relationship between a team and a player sours during the course of a long-term contract, and that’s what appears to have gone down with the Philadelphia Phillies and outfielder Nick Castellanos.

During his worst offensive season as an established major leaguer, Castellanos lost at-bats against right-handed pitchers, and he also found himself getting replaced in right field in many late-game scenarios. And he didn’t exactly take it well, frequently questioning manager Rob Thomson for his decision-making.

In the final season of his five-year, $100 million contract, Castellanos has become a burden on the Phillies’ payroll. They’ll have to eat money to get him out of town in a trade, but it seems as though that’s exactly what they’ll do if they can find a taker.

On Monday, ESPN’s Jesse Rogers not only predicted that a Castellanos trade was coming, but that it would happen this week at the winter meetings, which are happening in Orlando through the end of the day on Wednesday.

“Perhaps it won’t land as the biggest of surprises, considering how things went down in Philadelphia last year, but a deal would further show that the Phillies are turning things over a bit as they continue to chase a ring,” wrote Rogers.

“Castellanos could be the perfect fit for (the Pittsburgh Pirates, who are) desperate for hitting. In a recent interview on MLB Network, Castellanos discussed the idea of playing first base. That opens the door to even more possibilities outside of Philadelphia.”

The Pirates reportedly submitted an offer for Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber in recent days, so they have their sights set much higher than a Castellanos rebound at the moment. Is that a smokescreen? Pittsburgh certainly wasn’t on anyone’s list of favorites for Schwarber or any other big-name free agent.

Back to Castellanos, though. Entering his age-34 season, the two-time All-Star saw a decline in nearly every measurable metric, from quality of contact to plate discipline to athleticism. But he’s also had a good enough career to buy himself a do-over, especially on an expiring contract.

We’ll just have to find out how soon a new team is willing to give him that do-over.

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