Overview
- President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski told reporters the club expects Castellanos to play elsewhere this season, with a trade preferred and a release possible if no deal emerges.
- Team reporters say the Phillies are trying to find a club willing to cover even a small portion of his 2026 pay, with outside reports suggesting Philadelphia may need to retain roughly $17 million.
- Castellanos no longer has a starting spot after the December signing of Adolis García in right field, while Kyle Schwarber holds the designated hitter role.
- His market is constrained by a down 2025 performance and defensive decline, including a .250/.294/.400 line with 17 home runs and minus-12 outs above average in right field.
- With Grapefruit League games starting Feb. 21, speculation has focused on potential fits such as the Padres, Athletics, Reds, Tigers or White Sox, though no concrete talks have been reported.