Should Yankees Trade for Two-Time All-Star Outfielder?

Time for some last-minute shopping for the New York Yankees.

Much has been written about the club's pursuit of an outfielder. The Yankees' top preference is to re-sign Cody Bellinger. Among the backup plans are the uber-expensive Kyle Tucker and low-cost Austin Hays.

But what if general manager Brian Cashman hits the pause button on the free-agent market and instead looks at who might be available via trade.

Should he do that, here's a name to remember: Nick Castellanos.

The 33-year-old Castellanos has worn out his welcome in Philadelphia. So let's look at the pros and cons of trading for the Phillies outfielder.

Why Trade Makes Sense

Castellano is a two-time All-Star who won a Silver Slugger Award in 2021. He's hit at least 20 home runs in six of his 13 big-league seasons, most recently in 2024.

He has experience playing both corner outfield positions and saw time at third base early in his career. Plus Castellanos is durable, having played at least 136 games in each of the last four seasons.

In addition, Castellanos is in the final year of a five-year, $100 million contract, so the Yankees won't be on the hook for a bloated, long-term contract.

Red Flags

But there are some red flags that come with Castellanos.

From a production perspective, he hit just 17 home runs in 147 games last season with a paltry .694 OPS. Castellanos also struck out 133 times and has topped 100 whiffs 11 times.

Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Nick Castellanos — Oct 9, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Philadelphia Phillies right fielder Nick Castellanos (8) hits a RBI double in the seventh inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers during game four of the NLDS round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images | Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

And then there's this: Castellanos had a public falling out this past year with Phillies manager (and former Yankees coach) Rob Thomson. The outfielder openly challenged Thomson's communication style and accused the skipper of not clearly defining Castellanos' role on the club.

Conclusion

Look, trading for a disgruntled slugger on the downside of his career always comes with some question marks.

But Castellanos is in the final year of his contract and will be eager to re-establish his value before hitting the open market after the 2026 season. So maybe he puts together a strong bounce-back year while playing nice in the clubhouse.

From a financial perspective, he makes much more sense than Bellinger or Tucker. Besides, with Aaron Judge, Trent Grisham, Jasson Dominguez and Spencer Jones on the 40-man roster, the Yankees can roll the dice with Castellanos, knowing they have internal options in case he doesn't provide a spark.

The Phillies want to be done with Castellanos, so from a trade perspective, Cashman shouldn't have to send any of the Yankees' top prospects to Philadelphia. After all, MLB.com's Todd Zolecki reports Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski put his cards on the table last month and admitted Castellanos might benefit from a “change of scenery."

Certainly, Castellanos isn't a sure thing. But he makes sense as a relatively low-cost, high upside addition to a club trying to reclaim the American League East division title and win its first World Series since 2009.

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