Trade: Send outfielder Nick Castellanos to the Angels for two outfielders After a mediocre debut season with the Phillies in 2022, Castellanos had a bounce-back year in 2023, slashing.272/.311/.787 with 68 extra-base hits and 106 RBI.
He looked much more like the hitter that the Phillies hoped he would be after inking a five-year, $100M contract with them in March of 2022.
The Phillies don’t need to deal Castellanos because he will make $20 million a season for the next three, but they probably would if a deal came up that would help the team.
After losing slugger Shohei Ohtani to the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Angels’ cross-town rivals, they’ll probably be looking to replace as much of his output as possible. Castellanos might be exactly what they require.
In addition to helping Philadelphia with their cap situation, sending Castellanos to the Angels in exchange for outfielders Taylor Ward and Jo Adell gives them more depth in an otherwise thin outfield.
In 232 games played over the previous two seasons, Ward has amassed a slash line of.269/.349/.451 with 79 extra-base hits and 112 RBI.
Despite having a strong season in the minors—24 home runs in 74 games in Triple-A this season—Adell has not been able to carry over that success into the major leagues. Having played in 178 MLB games, with a slash line of.214/.259/.366 and 18 home runs and 66 RBI, a move to a new place might be just what he needs to reach his full potential.
Kyle Schwarber, Brandon Marsh, Ward, Adell, and Johan Rojas as the Phillies’ outfield would allow the team to move Schwarber to designated hitter and eliminate his questionable defense.
Sign: Please sign with care. Josh Hader
Craig Kimbrel, a relief pitcher, left a hole in the Philadelphia bullpen by signing with the Baltimore Orioles. It appears to be a perfect fit, especially with perhaps the most sought-after free-agent relief pitcher to hit the market in recent memory available.
After pitching 56.1 innings in 2023 and earning a 1.28 ERA while striking out 85 batters in 33 of 38 save opportunities, left-hander Josh Hader is likely to land a historic deal as a closer.
In his seven years in the Major League, Hader, who is only 29 years old, has already amassed staggering stats, striking out 648 batters in 388.2 innings pitched while converting 165 of his 190 save opportunities.
Should he accumulate enough innings by the end of his career, his career 15.01 K/9 is on track to be the highest in MLB history.
Hader is expected to sign a five-year, $87.5M contract, according to Spotrac’s market value calculator, but he will probably get a deal closer to $100M, which is another reason it makes sense to move on from Castellanos’ $20M a year if you can bring in one of the best closers to take the mound.
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