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The Phillies are being predicted to trade Nick Castellanos to the Pirates
The Philadelphia Phillies have made multiple moves this offseason so far. They notably re-signed star slugger Kyle Schwarber to a five-year, $150 million contract, who just had a fantastic 56-home run season. Schwarber was not the only notable player who the Phillies convinced to stick around, as they also re-signed veteran catcher J.T. Realmuto to a three-year, $45 million contract.
The Phillies have also brought in several new players to their roster this winter. Among their newcomers include Brad Keller, Adolis Garcia, Jonathan Bowlan, Kyle Backhus, and Zack Pop. However, the Phillies have also had some tough moments this offseason as well. They notably lost All-Star starter Ranger Suarez to the Boston Red Sox in free agency. They also missed out on top free-agent target Bo Bichette to the New York Mets.
With all of this, the Phillies have seen changes to their rosters. However, with February right around the corner, the National League East club might not be done yet. One of their most expensive players, Nick Castellanos, is continuing to create chatter in the rumor mill as a trade candidate. Due to this, a new prediction has Castellanos being traded to a surprise National League Central club.
Phillies Predicted to Trade Nick Castellanos to Pirates
In a recent article for ESPN, Jesse Rogers predicted that the Phillies would trade Castellanos to the Pittsburgh Pirates in a big off-season move. In addition, Rogers brought up the prospect of the Phillies retaining $15 million of Castellanos’ $20 million salary for the 2026 season to get a deal done with the Pirates.
“The Pirates still need hitting, right? And Castellanos still needs a new home. How about an in-state swap with the big-spending Phillies picking up most of the contract — say $15 million of the $20 million owed to Castellanos in 2026. The Pirates don’t even have to send anyone back in the deal. Just give them his money and watch Castellanos light up PNC Park, proving all the naysayers wrong,” Rodgers wrote.
With the Pirates needing another impactful hitter, it would make sense for them to take a chance on a two-time All-Star like Castellanos. When playing at his best, the 33-year-old is capable of providing solid offense from the plate and could be a nice pickup for a Pirates club that wants to be better in 2026.
Castellanos is also entering the final season of his five-year, $100 million contract, so bringing him in would not come with much risk for the Pirates.
Pirates Have Good Buy-Low Target in Castellanos
With the Phillies looking to move on from Castellanos and the 13-year veteran coming off a down season for his standards, now could be a good time for the Pirates to take a chance on him. It would likely not require the Pirates to part ways with much to get him, and he would have the potential to be a great addition to their roster if he bounced back in Pittsburgh.
Castellanos has hit at least 23 home runs in six different seasons, with the most recent time being in 2024 with the Phillies. He was also an All-Star just back in 2023 with Philadelphia, where he had 29 home runs, 106 RBIs, and a .272 batting average. With this, he would be a solid veteran for the Pirates to buy-low on, and it will be interesting to see if they do just that.
Michael DeRosa Michael covers the NHL for Heavy.com. He has professionally covered the NHL since 2017 and has written for other publications like The Hockey News, BetMGM, Athlon Sports, and The Hockey Writers. More about Michael DeRosa
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