Smooth sailing would be among the last terms used to describe the start of spring training for both the Toronto Blue Jays and Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Nick Castellanos. In the case of the Jays, outfielder Anthony Santander, set to play a crucial role after the team failed to land Kyle Tucker in free agency, had a shoulder injury discovered that will keep him out 5-6 months, while Shane Bieber may also miss Opening Day while dealing with forearm fatigue. Meanwhile, Castellanos didn’t even show up and doesn’t have a locker with the Phillies.
Neither are an ideal situation, but it might be as simple as the fact that both need each other right now, and perhaps a trade is on the table that would make sense for both sides.
Nick Castellanos and the Blue Jays might be aligning at the right time
Without Santander, the Blue Jays are looking at George Springer (though he’ll DH as well), Nathan Lukes, Addison Barger and Daulton Varsho as the primary outfield. That’s not bad, but the depth becomes a bit worrisome if you believe Davis Schneider sees more time in the infield than outfield, and considering that Myles Straw is largely going to be utilized for baserunning and defense.
As for Castellanos, the marriage feels completely over at this point. It’s not just that he’s requested a trade — the Phillies, for their part, clearly understand this isn’t going anywhere further either given that they didn’t give him a locker at spring training. And after acquiring Adolis Garcia this offseason, that all but ensures that they’ll find some solution to move him.
But Toronto looks perfect in their situation and need for depth to take on a low-cost investment in spring training that can help bolster their outfield, particularly as it pertains to the lineup.
What a Blue Jays-Phillies trade for Nick Castellanos would look like
We’re looking at a fringe Top 30 prospect coming to the Phillies in Connor Cooke — though the value of the prospect could move up into the Top 20 range depending on how much of the $20 million Castellanos is owed this season the Phillies are willing to eat. But make no mistake, Philadelphia is going to eat some part of that money no matter what the Blue Jays are sending back. No one is paying Casty that price tag to be the player he’s been of late.
At the same time, this is no sweat off either team’s back. The Phillies have no place for Castellanos and could, instead, eat only part of his deal and take a flier on a prospect to get something in return. However, there’s more to it for both sides of this potential trade that make it even more sensible when it comes down to it.
Why the Blue Jays should make this trade
Now, there’s probably part of you that’s thinking something to the tune of, “Why is losing Santander a big deal for Toronto, anyway? He was awful last year.” To be fair, you’re not wrong. Not only did the high-priced free agent signing from last offseason play in only 54 games due to injuries throughout the year, but he was nothing close to the switch-hitting power bat they’d hoped he be when they signed him, posting only a .565 OPS for the season with six home runs and five doubles.
At the same time, the Blue Jays were hoping for a bounce-back campaign after they failed to add Kyle Tucker. And that’s because, if the front office is as smart as I believe they are, they know that banking on much of last year is a tough sell. Springer might be at the forefront of that after surging to a wildly unexpected 5.2 fWAR season. Even if he’s still a quality bat, that’s hard to think is coming again in his late-30s. A decline is more likely.
Moreover, though it’s not an outfielder, this is a team that lost Bo Bichette from last year’s roster, which was a massively important bat in the heart of the order. They needed someone like Santander to help piece together some of that lost production, because we know that Andres Gimenez isn’t about to do it.
Castellanos might’ve dipped below a .700 OPS last season amid struggles in Philly, but he still had flashes and moments, and still produced at a .740 OPS clip back in 2024. There’s a world, especially as a depth piece, in which he could be highly useful to helping that cause and giving John Schneider the ability to put together the puzzle on a nightly basis to give the Blue Jays their best offense.
And for the cost of just a prospect and a portion of Castellanos’ salary, it’d make a plethora of sense to call a Phillies team that’s looking for anywhere to trade him.
Why the Phillies should make this trade
As for the Phils, Castellanos just isn’t the player he once was. His defense declined a long time ago in the outfield, but now that his bat has been on a steady downward trend, his usefulness to this veteran-laden team is waning.
That fact is amplified by the fact that, not only did they take a flier on Garcia this offseason, but they also have the likes of Justin Crawford who they want to have in the lineup more consistently this season, it seems. Castellanos would clog that up quite notably, and as much as the veteran wants to be dealt, you have to imagine that Dave Dombrowski and the Phillies want it just as badly.
The decline of the player means that this isn’t a trade where they are trying to save value. No, it’s a move to clear space. That’s space on the roster, which is obvious in how that would work, and space on the books. Again, Philadelphia is going to have to eat some of the Castellanos contract in order to facilitate a trade. At the same time, they won’t be paying the full $20 million, which certainly feels quite important.
Freeing up some of that money, in theory, would not only give them the lineup they want without too many cooks in the kitchen, but it would also potentially free them up more financially for any potential midseason trades that they could look to make.
Put simply, it’s a move that the Phillies quite clearly want to make, both to do right by Castellanos and to help themselves. And now they have a pretty clear trade partner that should be calling to make such a deal.
