The Philadelphia Phillies have a few items to take care of on their offseason wish list as the Winter Meetings get underway on Sunday afternoon.
At the top of the organization's list, of course, is deciding what parameters allow them to re-sign Kyle Schwarber. Schwarber finished runner-up for the National League MVP this past season to Shohei Ohtani. Coming off a career-best 56 home runs, he is expected to get a five-year deal per ESPN insider Jeff Passan.
Another choice the club still has to make is whether they will bring back catcher J.T. Realmuto. Realmuto is expected to have numerous suitors in a scarce free agent market for catchers. Rumors have floated that the Boston Red Sox and Texas Rangers are interested in the former All-Star.
Another area they need to address is what they will do with Nick Castellanos.
The veteran outfielder revealed this past week that he is open to playing first base. More than likely, however, that move would likely take place with a different team for the 2026 season.
“It was brought up to me and honestly, it’s something that I really welcome,” Castellanos said on MLB Network’s Hot Stove on Friday.
“As I get older, outfielders are being graded on pure athleticism. Like how much ground they can cover, like the spectacular plays like [Pete] Crow-Armstrong. I think going to first base is something I can do and I would enjoy it. If a team or somebody would need me to do that,” Castellanos said.
Castellanos has experience playing at a corner infield spot. He spent his first two seasons at third base before spending time in the outfield in 2012. In 2013 in Triple-A Toledo, he spent his first full season in the outfield. He shifted back to third base early in his big-league career with Detroit with Hall of Famer Miguel Cabrera at first. He was then asked to move back to the outfield when the Tigers traded Jeimer Candelario.
For the time being, the 33-year-old said he is not trying to focus on how his life could change in the next few weeks.
“All I know is that this offseason, I know that I want to just kind of live as simple as possible,” the 33-year-old-said.
“Focus on training and being in a great spot so I’m physically ready for 162. There’s a lot of things that are out of my control as far as trade talks and everything.”
“Whatever happens is going to happen.”
Something is more than likely going to happen with Castellanos. Multiple reports indicate that the veteran will be either traded or released by the Phillies. He has one year left on his $20 million deal with the Phillies, who are on the hook for most of it if he gets dealt.
Defensive flexibility certainly would increase Castellanos’ value. This could change the perception of him being viewed only as a potential designated hitter.
Castellanos slashed .250/.294/.400 with a .694 OPS in 147 games while striking out the second-fewest times (139) in his four-year stint with Philadelphia. However, his OPS, average, and on-base percentage were the lowest since 2022 in his first season with the Phillies.
Defensively, Castellanos did not grade out well in right field in 2025, but he feels he can still be serviceable out in the corner spot.
“There’s one thing I can say, is that I’m not bad in the outfield because I can’t catch a ball. No one ever says that I can’t catch a ball I can get to,” Castellanos said.
Perhaps the 13-year vet follows a similar path that Bryce Harper took, moving from right field to first base to elongate his career in a new uniform. The Phillies seemingly are crafting their 2026 26-man roster with other options in mind to fill the void that Castellanos will leave.
Justin Crawford, who appeared to push for a potential late-season call-up before suffering an injury in the final weeks of the season, is expected to have a long runway to win a spot on the roster and a potential starting role. Brandon Marsh still has two years of control left, and the Phillies just added outfield prospect Gabriel Rincones Jr., who impressed last Spring Training, to the 40-man roster.
Johan Rojas is also in the mix, although he was sent down to Triple-A after the trade deadline. The team also is interested in bringing back Harrison Bader after he had a strong two-plus months with the change of scenery after being traded from Minnesota.
There could be other solutions in free agency or via trade that perhaps develop this week during the Winter Meetings and beyond.
It is evident, though, that Castellanos is not a solution for the club when the 2026 season begins.
