Phillies Declining $100M Slugger Could Be Royals' Desperation Trade Target

Would Kansas City take a flier on a struggling vet?

Apr 11, 2025; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; Philadelphia Phillies third baseman Alec Bohm (28) picks up his hat after chasing down a fly ball against the St. Louis Cardinals during the third inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

The Kansas City Royals' search for outfield help is sure to be wide-reaching, and the Philadelphia Phillies certainly have a player available.

Nick Castellanos lost playing time in right field for the Phillies this season, and he made it clear both to the team and to the public that he wasn't happy about it. He also had his worst offensive season in 13 years as a big-leaguer, excluding his 11-game rookie debut with the Detroit Tigers.

Would the Royals really consider Castellanos, who is also approaching the end of a five-year, $100 million contract, as a buy-low option to try and tap into whatever offensive upside he has left? One insider doesn't think it's out of the question.

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Will Royals consider trade for Nick Castellanos?

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

On Tuesday, Anne Rogers of MLB.com listed Castellanos among the potential trade targets for the Royals this winter, though she couched it by saying he'd be more of a desperation option if Kansas City missed out on more viable candidates.

"Can the Royals count on a bounceback season from Castellanos? It might be worth a shot, but only if the Phillies include some money for Castellanos’ $20 million salary he’ll make in the final year of his contract," wrote Rogers.

"Castellanos looks to be on his way out of Philadelphia. He might not be high on the Royals’ list, but he’s only two seasons removed from hitting 29 homers in ‘23. It would be a temporary solution with a lot of risk, but maybe it’s something the Royals circle back to later this winter."

The biggest red flag from the Royals' perspective should be defense. Castellanos has been positively abysmal in right field lately (negative-12 fielding run value this year) and Citizens Bank Park is a much smaller outfield to cover than Kauffman Stadium.

If the Royals are willing to give Castellanos some designated hitter days and feel they can make some tweaks with the bat, though, maybe there's a world in which this deal gets done late in the offseason.

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