The Philadelphia Phillies have remained active on the market, but one unresolved issue still looms, Nick Castellanos. He was recently mentioned in a report suggesting the team would need to pay a significant portion of his salary in any potential trade.
Bob Nightengale addressed the situation on Foul Territory, saying, âThe Phillies will likely have to eat a minimum of $17Mâ$20M in a trade involving Nick Castellanos,â signaling that moving the outfielder would not come cheaply. Castellanos has been widely rumored as a candidate to be moved off the roster.
There is no known official offer from another MLB team for Castellanos at this point, but what is clear is that he still has guaranteed money remaining on his deal. The 2026 season is expected to be his final year in Philadelphia under the five-year, $100 million contract he signed with the club.
Castellanosâ remaining salary
Under the terms of his contract, Castellanos is owed $20 million in 2026, which is essentially the amount the Phillies would need to absorb in a trade scenario. While that may sound steep, it is not unprecedented. A recent example came with Nolan Arenado, who was traded from St. Louis to Arizona, with the Cardinals agreeing to pay $31 million of the more than $40 million remaining on his deal.
At the moment, there are two teams where Castellanos has been mentioned as a potential fit, though neither qualifies as a full-fledged rumor. Blog Red Machine floated the idea of Castellanos returning to the Reds, while South Side Showdown mentioned the Chicago White Sox as another possible landing spot.
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âIn Castellanos, the White Sox would receive a mature veteran bat to add to their young lineup. He didnât have his best season in 2025, posting a .694 OPS, but he slugged 17 home runs and 27 doubles, and adds some power from the right side. Castellanos will be 34 on Opening Day, and heâs a liability on defense at this stage of his career, but the White Sox could mix him in to right field and give him a steady number of at-bats at DH,â wrote Noah Phalen for South Side Showdown.
