Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski spoke with the media this week and said that the club was mostly set with their outfield after the Adolis García signing. Matt Gelb of The Athletic reports that the club is looking for a right-handed platoon bat to add into the mix.
That’s a sensible target, given the current setup. García should have right field spoken for with Brandon Marsh in left. The Phils want to give Justin Crawford a chance to take over the center field job. Both Marsh and Crawford are lefties. Marsh has notable career splits, with a .213/.278/.303 line and 61 wRC+ against southpaws in his career. Crawford actually fared slightly better against lefties in the minors this year but in a tiny sample of just 91 plate appearances against southpaws.
Having another righty bat who hits lefties well would make sense, particularly to platoon with Marsh. Crawford is more of a speed-and-defense guy anyway. He has hit well in the minors but with a high-contact, low-power approach that might be harder to pull off when facing better pitching and better defense in the majors. Time will tell how it plays but the Phils might be willing to live with whatever offense he can provide against lefties if he’s stealing bases and running the ball down on the grass.
Gelb mentions Rob Refsnyder as the kind of profile the Phillies are looking for, a righty bat who has mashed lefties in his career. He is one of many free agents to fit this profile, alongside guys like Miguel Andujar, Randal Grichuk, Austin Hays, Tommy Pham, Austin Slater and others. Old friend Harrison Bader would be a nice fit but he can probably get an everyday center field job elsewhere.
The Phils also have a potential solution already on the roster in Nick Castellanos. His offense has tailed off in recent years but he has largely stayed effective with the platoon advantage. He didn’t hit well against pitchers of either handedness in 2025 but still hit lefties as recently as 2024, when he had a .269/.324/.506 line and 124 wRC+ in the split.
Gelb reported back in October that the Phils would likely trade or release Castellanos. He re-asserted that position in this week’s column, linked above. It’s an interesting dynamic for the Phils as Castellanos is potentially the profile they are looking for but it seems they will look elsewhere. Perhaps that’s due to his defensive shortcomings or the fact that he hit just .243/.293/.387 against lefties in 2025 for an 87 WRC+.
It’s also theoretically possible that it’s due to off-the-field dynamics. Castellanos and manager Rob Thomson don’t seem to have the best relationship. Castellanos was benched in June for some kind of inappropriate comment made to the skipper, per ESPN. Castellanos also publicly criticized Thomson for his communication skills. With the apparent friction, perhaps things would get even worse if Castellanos were bumped into a part-time, short-side platoon role.
Whatever the reasoning, it seems the Phils are in a strange position. Castellanos is still owed $20MM next year. If they can’t find a trade partner, they could end up releasing him. It appears they will also look for a replacement, probably spending another $5MM or so on some new guy. The Phillies are a repeat tax payor and are over the top line, meaning that they pay a 110% tax on any additional spending. In the end, it’s possible they give Castellanos $20MM to go away, then spend a few million more on his replacement, plus taxes.
On the pitching side, Gelb reports that the Phils are looking for rotation depth but don’t appear to be looking for any guys on multi-year contracts. That makes some sense with what they have in place already, as they have a few questions but might have enough arms.
Zack Wheeler is recovering from surgery to address venous thoracic outlet syndrome. He is expected to begin the season on the injured list but could rejoin the rotation fairly early in the campaign. While he’s out, the Phils should start the season with a rotation consisting of Cristopher Sánchez, Jesús Luzardo, Aaron Nola, Taijuan Walker and Andrew Painter.
There’s an argument for the club to sign another starter but things could theoretically get tight once Wheeler is back. If they did sign a big free agent, then there’s a scenario fairly early in the season where this free agent, Wheeler, Sánchez, Luzardo and Nola have the five rotation spots. That would bump Walker to long relief and Painter to Triple-A.
The Phils might actually want to have a path open for Painter in case 2026 is his breakout year. His 5.40 earned run average in Triple-A this year wasn’t pretty but that was mostly due to a home run spike, unusual for him. 17.6% of his fly balls allowed went over the fence, whereas he was at just 5.6% in 2022 before getting hurt. This year’s 23.7% strikeout rate and 9% walk rate were pretty close to average.
While Wheeler is out, the Phils can give Painter a chance to hold a rotation spot. By the time Wheeler gets back, the Phils can decide whether Painter needs more Triple-A time or if he’s ready to take off.
This all assumes everyone is healthy at the same time. Given the likelihood of injuries to the pitching staff, perhaps the Phils should bolster the group anyway. With Walker and Luzardo impending free agents, signing a multi-year deal now would also help the club in 2027.
However, the club’s 2026 payroll is already pretty close to where they were in 2025. According to RosterResource, they are within $14MM of where they finished the most recent season. If they re-sign J.T. Realmuto as hoped, they would end up making up most or all of that difference. In terms of CBT, as mentioned, they are already over the top line and facing a 110% on further spending. Rather than go after a big splash for the rotation, they will add some depth but will mostly be hoping that the guys they already have can step up.
Photo courtesy of Kyle Ross, Imagn Images
Tigers can take on salary for prospects.
$20M is no chicken feed. The owner must be at least somewhat concerned…..
Hire the Superfife!
Philly would rather eat 20m than trade prospects to dump Castellanos on another club!
Inefficient way to run a business.
Throw away $20M.
Fans are getting ripped off by inefficiency.
Only rich people and corporations can afford good seating. This is why. Wasteful GMs. Uber r8chnowners who just pass it.off.to.the loyal fans…
A monopoly in action.
Loyal Americans, baseball, mom and apple pie – being taken advantage of, being taken for a ride, being taken for everything we ever held dear…..
Owners have often bid against themselves to placate their prized acquisitions (Harper, Lindor, etc). I agree the fans are on the hook
Their #1 2025 draft pick only cost them $3M.
Top 3 draft picks cost.less.than $10M.
Sounds like a good way to save some cash and maybe get something worthwhile back.
But I guess not.
As long as they can just over charge customers.and customers don’t complain, inefficiency and waste will continue, not only continue but be prevalent in the way all teams operate.
MLB customers are.being treated and thought of like a.bunch of dumb asterisks by the Ivy League guys….
Bro. Take a breath. It’s going to be ok.
Family of 4 is a $500 drop for 1 game with field level seats.
Imai is my pipedream. They really want to break into that Japanese market, and another starter is needed.
Von I’m with you on Imai. Are we counting to much on a bounce back year from Nola and painter is healthy and the real deal. We all love Sanchez and luzardo and know Walker is well Walker. Help me here.Wheels won’t be ready and healthy until?
I concur.
Can we build shrines and meditate on this collectively? They threw a ton at Yamamoto and would’ve done the same if Sasaki let them. Imai dreaming? Maybe, but there’s still a chance…
The window has closed for Philly sports, i see
Which means a door has opened!
Painter had control issues in AAA. He consistently fell behind hitters. He had three or four games where he walked 5 or 6 batters. When you fall behind hitters, it contributes to you giving up more home runs. Painter could use a little more time in AAA to correct is control issues. The majors isn’t the place to figure that out
Ummmmmm…. looking at BB Ref game logs he pitched in 24 games and had 4 gms w/4 bb, 5 gms w/3 bb, 5 gms w/2 bb, 6 gms w/1 bb, 6 gms w/0 bb
in those 24 games he gave up 20 hr
47 walks in 26 games… (per BBRef)… sounds like control issues to you?
Never said it wasn’t, never defended his control, simply pointed out that that he did not have “three or four games where he walked 5 or 6 batters.”
Neither Refsnyder or Castellanos can play CF. Slater makes sense as a RH that can play all 3 OF spots. Grichuck makes sense as well as he too can play all 3 spots and offers higher offensive upside than Slater. I would probably sign one of them
Grichuk has not started a game in CF since 2023, just two games in CF as a non-starter in two seasons.
Marsh isn’t great but adequate in center and if they don’t care about offense out there they have Johan Rojas kicking around. I’m not sure they are looking for a RH bat, I think they will go with Otto Kemp out there. I’d like to see them bring back Walker Buehler to fill the swing role, he looked fine at tbe end of last year and will no doubt sign a pillow contract. I’d rather bring in some starting pitching depth than sign JT even, but they seem hell bent on bringing him back.
I’m not sure why you would spend 110% extra on a short side corner outfield platoon scrub.
Mets fan here. Surprised to see anyone spilling ink on Castellanos. Finished, gone.
The White Socks, Pirates or A’s might give him a try for nothing money.
What the hay
Pirates, Snakes, Rockies, Marlins – if the cost is one or two million, I think he is possibly a useful platoon DH or bench bat.
He’d look good in blue and gold. You guys up for paying half of that? It’s not like he chases bad pitches or anything and his attitude would fit right in. He’d probably seem like a pussycat in that locker room. He also is a plus defender according to him.
Soler for Castellanos and $2-3 million remains possible, as mentioned in the comments below yesterday’s article about Perry Minasian not ruling out having Trout in RF regularly and even possibly sometimes in CF.
Garcia Stats are worst than Phillies number 8, No Phillies number 12 with 19 home runs as another writer suggested. Low risk and high reward has not come true in the past 5 years. Get an outfield superstar and not an older 3rd basemen.
They got Garcia mostly for his defense. His bat is a bonus.
Seems to double down on the profile they seem to want to escape. The lineup as been too boom or bust in recent playoffs. Garcia fits that profile. If they are looking defense without offensive needs don’t they just go marsh in left, Rojas in center (or bader if resigned) and Crawford in right?
I just can’t see the swap in right field yielding anything than another free swinging righty that the fans will soon be complaining about. I think they need more scrappy guys that battle with at bats and make the pitchers work. It wouldn’t work since he doesn’t play outfield but arraez is needed in the lineup, not another .215 high HR high SO hitter.
That isn’t true. The Phillies needed a rh hitting outfielder, and that’s why they brought Garcia in. The defense, is the bonus.
I mean he’s Nick Castellanos with great defense. That’s all we’re getting from his bat.
I think Andujar makes a ton of sense for this team.
Agreed. Can he still play third base in an emergency?
Phils aint goin anywhere; their window has shut hard!!! They are cooked tomatoes!!!
We have seen this post 3 years in a row. One year it’ll be right, but it hasn’t been yet.
I seem to recall several people posting before last season that they would never make the post season let alone win the division. Ever remember one person getting many upvote when they said Philly would finish 4th in the NL East. None of that aged well.
I see them as a top 5 team in baseball. Of course that’s all on paper. They haven’t gotten hot in the playoffs.
I don’t think we are there yet, but to be honest, I would rather the Phillies not make the playoffs then lose in the first round again. Three years in a row and Dombrowski hasn’t figured out this base is not good enough to win a World Series.
Rather see them miss the playoffs then lose in first round? Cynical….only one team wins the whole thing. Got to be in it to win it.
Yeah..96 wins..cooked. keep trying
Just curious , haven’t seen Rangers name mentioned at all, guessing he’s just outta the equation financially?
The issue with Castellanos is not his play. The issue is with him going against the grain and protesting the working conditions in Camelot. He and Thomson obviously don’t get along ideally. The media picked up on this and turned a non-event into an ongoing post-apocalyptic documentary. But is this enough reason to replace Castellanos with someone who may not play the position as well as he has played it in the past 4 years? Methinks not.
Garcia is Version 2.0 of Hays and Kepler – another marginal player the Phils will overpay on a 1-year contract to fill a position and keep the fans happy.
Earth to Domblowski – David, This is not how you win championships.
After a successful season in Dominican winter ball, Johann Rojas is probably a better candidate to replace Castellanos than Garcia. Thinking that Garcia will return to 2023 form in Philly is the same wishful thinking the Phils used when they acquired Hays and Kepler. Unfortunately, the results will probably be the same as well.
If the Phils front office still has any brains left, they should forget about trading Castellanos, and at least for the time being, move him to left field to platoon with Marsh. With Crawford in center, Garcia in right, and Rojas on the bench, they have room to experiment with their outfield lineup and make the appropriate changes before the 2026 trade deadline.
Because a free agency contract after the 2026 season is still on the table for Castellanos, he may be motivated to have a very strong year at the plate. Putting him in left field should help eliminate any real or perceived defensive deficiencies he may have, and allow either Crawford or Rojas to cheat toward left field and get to some of the balls Castellanos might not be able to get to.
By keeping Castellanos, the Phils may be able to eliminate spending any more money on outfielders this season and give the team the extra cushion they need to allow Crawford, Rojas, Marsh, and Garcia to settle in. Keeping Castellanos, at least until the trade deadline, sure beats giving him to another team for little in return and the need to pay most of his 2026 salary, or releasing him outright – especially when he still may have something left in the tank.
Castellanos is not and has never been the Phillies’ biggest problem. Giving him a chance may turn into the Phillies’ biggest surprise of the 2026 season.
I agree with everything you said but I would add the Phillies have a permanent DH plus aging guys that could benefit from an occasional DH game. Castellanos is a decent hitter and DH but in Philly DH isn’t an option without an injury or two. Castellanos makes that manager’s job more difficult because he doesn’t have the ability to use defensive/platoon matchups. It’s better to have a happy atmosphere too. If the manager and player don’t get a long, it’s best to move on from the least performing of the two.
smedley, Not being able to use the older players in a rotating DH is one of the reasons I didn’t like Schwarber being resigned.
You’re right that a tense atmosphere does not help a team.
The other side of the story is Castellanos may be chomping at the bit to get away from the Phillies.
I always thought the Marlins would be place where he might thrive because his family is in Florida. I’m sure the Marlins could find a pitcher to trade for Castellanos and coin.
Are you of the opinion that Castellanos’s defensive deficiencies are only perceived, not real? You may be in a minority of one.
joel, Castellanos has had nearly a 1.000 fielding average during his time in Philly. He’s also had one of the very best outfield arms in all of baseball. His slow first step doesn’t allow him to track down some balls that faster outfielders may be able to get, but he is, by no means, as limited a defensive players as Schwarber, who no one ever complains about. At the very least, Castellanos has played adequate right field for the Phils, and may have been better suited for left field. All the negative publicity isn’t about Castellanos’ defensive abilities. It’s all about his perception that he hasn’t been given the respect in Philly he has been due, and the fact that he finally said something about it last season. If I had to choose between Thomson or Castellanos, I’d take Castellanos every game of the season, and twice during doubleheaders.
Goodness me. Trust your eyes and if you don’t want to trust your eyes, take a gander at Baseball Savant. Schwarber isn’t a limited fielder, he just isn’t a fielder. People don’t complain about it because it’s an established fact.
Find it hard to believe that a team with a lefty heavy lineup, that has a couple of bad contracts of their own, wouldn’t want Castellanos. Boston Red Sox for Jordan Hicks (2/$25M). Phillies take on the extra year, hoping Hicks rebounds as a full time RP again. Sox get a competitor, comes with some fanfare, never injured, wealth of post season experience. How about to the Dodgers, for Tanner Scott? Orioles for Tyler O’Niell? Just can’t see the Phillies eating $20M in a market starved of RH bats. Player that’s always available and had down ballot MVP votes, just a few years ago. There has got to be a taker out there.
AC, I always thought the Marlins would be a good fit.
I agree that Castellanos still has some gas left in the tank, and the media blitz against him may be disguising the talent he has always displayed.
Castellanos had a .696 ops last year which, combined with the worst outfield fielding metrics in the sport, means he’s the answer to nothing, anywhere, at any price. He was good 7 years ago, acceptable four years ago, and is albatross now. But hey, he complements that with an attitude.
At this point Phillies ownership needs to step up and tell Dombrowski he’s done an excellent job but they’re getting rid of Castellanos for pennies on the dollar. If Phillies pay $16-17 million, there’s teams that would take a league average bat at DH for $3-4 million. Young teams that could flip him at the deadline if the small chance his bat wakes up. I would send out Bohm for any prospects I could get. Use the money saved on a Bregman, Murakami, Okomato type to play 3rd.
smedley,
Bregman is the most overrated player in baseball. Bohm at 1/3 the cost is a bargain with a greater future.
Looking at the state of a team ready to pay the 4th tier of luxury tax, I wish my expectations matched the lofty willingness to spend. I do appreciate an owner willing to do this, but it could get ugly this year. There was a noticeable break in the fans relationship with the team in the playoffs, with playing away from home almost becoming a plus for the team as they struggled to perform at the plate under the pressure to live up to expectations again. This wasnt the first time they appeared the team has reacted this way in the playoffs, but it wasnt addressed by the players until last year.
IMO, the rotation looks thin with things needing to go right to be a stable 5 man. Bullpen appears to be solid though. Will it offset?
With the Realmuto question lingering and impacting both pitching and lineup construction, its difficult to get a clear picture of either. Seems almost a requirement to bring him back, as it really is the make or break season for this roster (I’ll play along with management here, as I thought last season was the bubble)
It will take some magic…some kind of storybook, remember til you die season and playoff run for this team and fans to win a WS….and whatever happens…will be a lead in to a lengthy drop off in the future.
Feels desperate, so you might as well just platoon Casty in left and let that story come to a natural conclusion as well. No reason to eat the money spent, replacing him with a replica or worse. Who knows…he might be a character of the redemptive fairy tale season …
Im trying to talk myself into this….lol