The Philadelphia Phillies won’t be running it back in 2025.
After an early postseason exit at the hands of the rival New York Mets, president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said the front office will be “open-minded to exploring” roster additions.
“Sometimes you trade good players for good players,” he added.
As the Phillies look to reshape their roster, it seems likely they will address the offensive habit of chasing pitches out of the strike zone, which contributed to their second-half offensive slump in 2024. Listing trade candidates for his “All-MLB Rumor Team,” MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand noted that veteran slugger Nick Castellanos could be on his way out of Philadelphia as a result.
“Although he’s headed into his 13th big league season, Castellanos will turn only 33 in March,” per Feinsand. “He played 162 games this season — 157 of them in right field — and has been sturdy throughout his career. The Phillies could look to change the look of their lineup, which has had too much chase and swing-and-miss in recent years.”
Entering the fourth year of a five-year, $100 million contract, the Phillies might find more interested trade partners for Castellanos than they did when they shopped last winter, Feinsand added. And with two All-Star nods, a Silver Slugger Award and two seasons of Most Valuable Player Award votes to his name, he has the kind of resume that should entice the right teams.
“With two years and $40 million remaining, Philadelphia could find a team in need of a power bat, especially after Castellanos’ strong second half (10 home runs, 39 RBIs, .839 OPS in 66 games,” Feinsand noted.
The Phillies might be unlikely to part with Castellanos if they do not bolster their outfield with some accompanying changes. He was one of the only impact bats among an outfield platoon that often included Johan Rojas, Weston Wilson and Austin Hays during the 2024 season.
But if Dombrowski is able to add some complementary players, Castellanos could be moved as the Phillies try a new-look offense for next season.
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