Trade chatter is continuing to heat up as the Philadelphia Phillies get closer to the start of spring training, and the same veteran is the guy everyone expects to trade. Outfielder Nick Castellanos is reportedly drawing interest on the trade market, which surprises me, with the organization exploring potential landing spots ahead of its first workout of camp.

I’m surprised to see Castellanos have any love, but he’s a veteran bat who clearly has some value.

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ESPN had the latest on the situation.

“The Philadelphia Phillies are trying to find a new home for outfielder Nick Castellanos ahead of their first full-squad workout of spring training. Castellanos was benched late last season after he made what Phillies manager Rob Thomson described as ‘an inappropriate comment’ after he was pulled for a defensive replacement. Castellanos said in September that communication with Thomson had been ‘questionable, at least in my experience.’ President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said the team has been talking to other clubs about Castellanos,” ESPN wrote.

That altercation last year only fueled speculation that the relationship, and perhaps Castellanos’ long-term fit, wasn’t what it needed to be. While on-field production and clubhouse fit both factor into trade decisions, and he’s been horrible on both fronts with that, it takes two teams to make a trade.

From a roster-construction standpoint, the Phillies’ willingness to trade him could come from more than just his attitude, too, as his lack of defensive flexibility, poor offensive showings, payroll, and the emergence of younger outfield options pushing for larger roles are all in play.

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Castellanos still offers proven right-handed power and postseason experience, which typically holds value for contenders. However, defensive metrics and streaky offensive stretches have complicated his overall production and that’s without factoring in his contract..

With spring training approaching, the deal needs to happen soon for all parties. A deal prior to workouts would allow both Castellanos and the Phillies to divorce before Opening Day and go from there.

If it doesn’t, it won’t matter, as Adolis Garcia will be the full-time replacement, per ESPN.

“Adolis García is expected to replace Castellanos in right field after he signed a one-year, $10 million contract with Philadelphia in December.”