The Philadelphia Phillies and right fielder Nick Castellanos have had a complicated relationship ever since he signed as a free agent in 2022. His time in Philadelphia has been marred by underperformance at the plate and a questionable lack of transparency between him and the club. Castellanos’ growing frustration has now put the Phillies in a tough spot when looking at their roster for 2026.
Castellanos is approaching the last year of his five-year deal, with the Phillies still being on the hook for his remaining $20 million. The Phillies still have their concerns about whether he’s worth having on the club still, but copying what the Los Angeles Angels are doing with their headache could ease that pain.
Phillies and Nick Castellanos could end up like Angels and Anthony Rendon this offseason
The Angels have a history of bad contracts being dealt out in Anaheim. Their most recent blunder is third baseman Anthony Rendon. According to ESPN’s Alden Gonzalez, Rendon, who will be 36 years old next season, is in talks with the Angels to potentially buy out the remaining year of his contract.
The two parties initially signed a seven-year, $245 million deal, agreeing to $35 million per year. Rendon has had every kind of injury there is since he arrived in Los Angeles, but it was his utter indifference that made the Angels want to pull the plug on the deal.
The Phillies could do just that for Castellanos as well. They’ve reportedly been searching for a trade partner since the offseason began but haven’t found the right suitor yet. It’s also harder to trade someone who hit .250 with a .694 OPS and -0.8 bWAR.
Castellanos does stay on the field consistently, but at a cost to the defense. The lack of a consistent threat at the plate paired with a lack of range in right field has also weighed down the Phillies’ effectiveness as an outfield group.
Nothing is final between Rendon and the Angels working out a buyout. It could include deferring some money and the team only paying out a portion of the remaining money in 2026. The same could be true for Castellanos. If the Phillies really can’t unload the $20 million in a trade, then extending that money out or only paying out a portion of his remaining contract would be the way to go.