3 reasons the Royals should steer clear of the Nick Castellanos trade rumors

The Kansas City Royals need an outfielder or two. There is no denying that fact heading into prime hot stove season.

There are plenty of options available on the free agent market, or the AL Central club could seek a trade partner. One big name is already out and reportedly available, as the Philadelphia Phillies are reportedly seeking a divorce from outfielder Nick Castellanos.

This comes as Philadelphia is seeking to retain some other core players after an early postseason exit at the hands of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Slugger Kyle Schwarber, pitcher Ranger Suárez, and catcher J.T. Realmuto are the team's headline pending free agents, and keeping one or two of those players will not come cheap. The NL East club needs to clear some payroll to make negotiations easier, and moving on from Castellanos is a no-brainer following a down 2025 season.

The Florida native is a very different player now than he was when Philadelphia signed him to a five-year, $100 million contract following the 2021 season meaning there are numerous reasons the Royals should stay away from the former Detroit Tigers first-round pick as they search for answers to aid the outfield.

3 reasons the Royals should steer clear of the Nick Castellanos trade rumors

Castellanos doesn't have a surefire trait or role that improves the Royals.

Castellanos is in this position for a reason. Despite the Phillies' success in the regular season and following, Castellanos has never really lived up to his contract's value.

The 33-year-old has been a meager 0.8 fWAR player across four seasons in Philadelphia, with two negative fWAR seasons in that span. He has been a perfectly average batter, with a 100 wRC+ in that span, including 82 home runs in that span. The courting numbers, including 326 RBI across four seasons, look mighty fine, but do not tell the whole story.

Castellanos doesn't have strong splits, being below average last year against both left and right handed pitching. He hasn't been above-average against righties in a while, while he hammered lefties in 2023 but declined since. Usually, the platoon splits are a redeeming factor for a slightly below-average batter, but that is not the case for Castellanos.

And that is only addressing his on-field role. Castellanos is no dugout darling, with his teammates and coaches left "disgusted" by his actions towards Phillies manager Rob Thomson earlier this season. Clubhouse fit is not a quantifiable public stat at this point, but the eye test doesn't say Kansas City is a good fit for Castellanos from a chemistry point of view.

Has Castellanos had great seasons at the plate? Absolutely, he wouldn't have gotten the massive contract if he hadn't. But since then, things have been erratic. There isn't a situation that Castellanos excels in, a role he is certain in, or an aspect of his game that is certainly better than any outfielder Kansas City currently rosters or could add this offseason.

Nick Castellanos is a liability in the field and basepaths.

Any perceived value in the veteran lies in Castellanos' bat, and that is a good thing for the Royals in theory. After all, their outfield was one of the worst units at the plate in 2025 and had no full-season starter with an wRC+ above 77 (Mike Yastrzemski had a 138 wRC+ following the trade deadline).

In fact, Castellanos' 90 wRC+ would have been a marked improvement for Kansas City's outfield, but his -0.6 fWAR puts him in the likes of Drew Waters and MJ Melendez. Why? Becasue of his work in the field and on the basepaths.

Castellanos is no speedster, but he still has above-average sprint speed according to Baseball Savant. But he is not a stolen base threat, with 10 in his last two seasons, and he struggles to get the extra base after putting the ball in play. Kansas City already struggled with that as a team, and Castellanos' -6 Baserunning Runs value doesn't help the Royals address an underrated problem.

Castellanos was thrust into right field in Philadelphia to accommodate Kyle Schwarber at designated hitter. It was an unfortunate move, considering Castellanos is by far a below average fielder and has been his entire career.

Castellanos has a -89 Outs above Average in his career, including -12 OAA in 2025 alone. Whether it be his arm, his outfield reads, or overall range, Castellanos is not built to be an outfielder. He is a designated hitter at this point in his career, and that doesn't mesh with Kansas City avoiding a full-time designated hitter since manager Matt Quatraro took over.

Castellanos has never been a complete MLB player in his career, but his bat bridged the gap and kept the aforementioned areas as warts rather than non-starters. But if Castellanos' bat is unreliable and declining, then these warts stand out even more in the worst way possible.

Nick Castellanos is pricey for a possibly below-replacement-level player.

The Phillies will likely have to eat some, if not most, of Castellanos' $20 million owed to him in 2026 if they want to trade him away. But for a Phillies team trying to free up payroll, a team taking on most of that amount is in their best interest.

Kansas City isn't in a spot to bend their payroll over backward to fit Castellanos, despite their desperate need in the outfield.

The more money Kansas City wants Philadelphia to eat, the better prospect they would have to send to the Phillies. There seems to be little room for error with Kansas City's shallow prospect pipeline, and that lacking depth, coupled with the added payroll, makes this pairing unlikely and unfruitful.

Supporters will point to the New York Yankees sending pitcher Cody Poteet to the Chicago Cubs for outfielder Cody Bellinger and $5 million following the 2024 season.

While the 2025 results say that it was a smart move and worth the money, it was made for a reason, and that was the asking price of a player coming off a 2.1 fWAR season and a 4.4 fWAR season the year before. Castellanos hasn't sniffed those numbers for nearly five years now.

Think about it like this, Royals fans: would you be happy if Kansas City signed Castellanos to a one-year, $20 million deal? Even in a best-case scenario, a one-year deal worth $8-$12 million?

That price range could very well make Castellanos the Royals' leading outfield addition by dollar amount. That doesn't feel like a prudent deal, one that addresses anything for the Royals, prioritizing past and potential over present production.