Phillies’ Outfield Uncertainty for Next Season
Nick Castellanos’ impressive home runs could be a thing of the past as the Phillies might part ways with an outfielder this offseason. Reports indicate that Castellanos had what some are calling the worst year of his 13-season MLB career.
The 33-year-old posted a .250 batting average with a .294 on-base percentage, which is notably his lowest over a full season. His performance was further marred by subpar defense, and his home run and RBI numbers fell to 17 and 72, respectively.
In fact, he ended the 2025 season with a career-low -1.0 WAR. There was also some drama, including a public disagreement with manager Rob Thompson and a benching in June.
“We’ll see what happens,” said Phillies President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski. “I don’t want to specify players on the roster—this situation is as you described, but let’s see how everything unfolds.”
Castellanos, a two-time All-Star celebrated for delivering in high-stakes moments, still has one year remaining on his five-year, $100 million contract. If the Phillies are willing to absorb some of his $20 million salary, a trade could be in the cards, but he has been under their watch for the past two offseasons.
This only adds to the overall uncertainty for the Phillies, who lost to the Dodgers in the National League Division Series, falling short of expectations for a World Series run.
Other outfielders like Max Kepler and Harrison Bader, along with slugger Kyle Schwarber and catcher JT Realmuto, are also nearing free agency. It seems like a lot is up in the air.
There’s talk of creating space for the 21-year-old Justin Crawford, the team’s first-round pick in 2022, who had a stellar .334 batting average with 46 stolen bases in 112 games at Triple-A Lehigh Valley.
While manager Thompson is set to return, it’s clear Dombrowski has some difficult decisions to make. He acknowledged that while Bryce Harper remains a quality player and even an All-Star, he might not reach the elite level of his earlier seasons again.
