Royals Should Avoid Trade For Phillies' $20 Million Slugger At All Costs

Like, even if they're giving him away

Oct 9, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Philadelphia Phillies right fielder Nick Castellanos (8) reacts after striking out in the fifth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers during game four of the NLDS round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

As the Kansas City Royals begin their offseason search for more thump in the lineup, there will naturally be a lot of names thrown around as potential fits.

In general, the Royals can't afford to be too picky about which positions they target. But there's one name that is known to be available via trade who the Royals should avoid at all costs.

That name? Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Nick Castellanos, who fell out of favor in Philadelphia this year and has one year left on his contract at a much-too-high value of $20 million.

Matt Gelb of The Athletic reported on Thursday that the Phillies are likely to trade or release Castellanos this offseason. It seems feasible that they could find a trade partner, as there's rarely such thing as a bad one-year contract, but even if he hits free agency, the Royals should avoid him. Here's why.

Castellanos is bad fit for Royals on multiple fronts

Oct 6, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies right fielder Nick Castellanos (8) strikes out against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the second inning during game two of the NLDS round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

The idea behind acquiring Castellanos would be counting on a two-time All-Star and former Silver Slugger Award winner to bounce back at the plate. Castellanos' production was way down this year (88 OPS+), and the underlying data backed up a huge drop-off, but sure, perhaps there's a world where his bat returns to respectability.

Where the Royals can't afford the downside he brings, however, is in the field. He was the worst right fielder and one of the worst overall defenders in all of baseball this season, posting -12 outs above average, and the Phillies' home ballpark is one of the easiest right fields there is to play.

If he came to Kansas City, the Royals would either have to hemorrhage runs on defense or make Castellanos a near-full-time designated hitter, which would take away at-bats from youngsters Carter Jensen and Jac Caglianone, in addition to forcing 36-year-old Salvador Perez to catch more than the team would like.

Castellanos was also quite disgruntled down the stretch with his diminished playing time in Philadelphia, which is understandable because of the contract he signed, and maybe a change of scenery would even bring out the best in him from a clubhouse standpoint.

However, even for as desperate as they are for offense, the Royals can't pursue someone who is both a reclamation project and a defensive liability. Maybe they can stomach one or the other, but it's too risky to swallow both pills.

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