The Philadelphia Phillies have officially cut ties with right fielder Nick Castellanos, releasing him from the franchise before his contract reached its end. An incident in the dugout involving Phillies manager Rob Thompson, Castellanos, and a beer bottle, among other disagreements are to blame.
Castellanos took to social media and gave his side of the story, which can be viewed below in his Instagram post.
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The Colorado Rockies are in a position where they could look into signing Castellanos to a one-year deal, at least to league minimum. The Phillies still have to pay out the $20 million remaining on his contract, which allows the Rockies to look into Castellanos and what he could potentially be worth.
Philadelphia Phillies right fielder Nick Castellanos (8) celebrates after scoring a run. / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
Colorado has been very active this offseason in bringing in players to serve as placeholders, or players who they believe can provide upside to a team that was the worst in Major League Baseball last season. With recent news of Kris Bryant heading to the 60-Day IL, there’s an open spot in right field.
Now, Castenallos is notoriously not the best fielder, having moved from third base early in his career with the Detroit Tigers to being placed in right field, which he has played ever since the change. The Rockies have some outfield options, which could mean a Castellanos addition would be for DH.
Last season, Castellanos hit 17 home runs with a .250 batting average, but in the past, this was a player with pop in the bat. Possessing a career high of 34 home runs back with the Cincinnati Reds, playing 81 games at Coors Field would do wonders for a player who is primarily known for his hitting abilities.
Philadelphia Phillies right fielder Nick Castellanos (8) fields the ball. / Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
In his career, when playing in Colorado as a visitor, Castellanos has torn it up. In 19 games played, the former Phillie has collected four home runs, 13 RBIs, a batting average of .325, and an OPS of .914, only striking out 10 times.
The wide-open outfield in Colorado is perfect for a player like Castellanos, not to mention the high altitude would help improve his numbers. He might not be worth the $20 million Philadelphia has to bite the bullet and pay, but there is still value in his bat.
Do the Rockies need him? No. But would adding him to a lineup of this caliber make him a star like he’s always wanted to be, and give him a chance to play every day? Yes.