Nick Castellanos wasn't going to wait around for his future to be announced by Jeff Passan, Ken Rosenthal, Robert Murray, or any of the other MLB insiders who ...
Heading into the 2022 season, the Phillies have a lineup that can compete with the top contenders. He’s coming off his first Silver Slugger season, in which he hit .309/.362/.576 with a .939 OPS, 38 doubles, and 34 home runs in 138 games. For the first time in their 140-year history, the Phillies will pay for overspending; fans who have waited and watched a decade-long playoff drought are thrilled. On Saturday morning, Bryce Harper, who had been pushing for the signing, said it was a “good day to be a Phillie.” Or in his case, millions of dollars. He left the caption blank; the photo was worth a thousand words.
From the cost to the lineup to how it impacts others, here are 10 thoughts on the Phillies' deal with Nick Castellanos. By Corey Seidman.
It is the fourth time in five years the Phils have lost a high pick by signing a top free agent. The Phillies will likely have to slug their way to wins with one of baseball’s worst defenses and the always unpredictable bullpen. The Phillies do not need to trade him, but they have added two more middle-of-the-order bats, one of whom can play first base, and Hoskins has not yet been extended. They’re positioned well to do so with Harper, Castellanos, Schwarber, Hoskins, Realmuto and Segura in the same lineup. It would have to be the right sort of return, though, a player who could help as much as Hoskins. There’s no great urgency for the Phillies to make this move but it’s worth keeping in the back of your mind. Since this would be their first year exceeding the tax, they’d be subject to the lowest penalty of 20%. Exceed it two years in a row and that rises to 30%. Three years in a row and it’s 50%. This is relevant because the Phillies will still have a ton of money committed toward 2023 and 2024, and if they do progress into becoming an actual contender, the spending won’t just stop. On defense, they aren’t above average anywhere with the exception of Realmuto behind the plate and maybe Segura at second. Harper was impressive defensively in 2019 but less so the last two seasons as he dealt with nagging injuries, including a back issue that caused him to alter his throwing motion. Castellanos’ presence should affect the rest of the lineup in a positive way. Up and down the lineup, Phillies players should feel less pressure. Phillies fans had grown skeptical that they’d ever exceed the luxury tax after several years of managing partner John Middleton saying they would for the right opportunity. J. T. Realmuto doesn’t have to be relied upon as the cleanup hitter or second-best run producer, he can settle more naturally into a complementary offensive role.
Kyle Schwarber, DH · Jean Segura, 2B · Bryce Harper, RF · Rhys Hoskins, 1B · Nick Castellanos, LF · J.T. Realmuto, C · Didi Gregorius, SS · Alec Bohm, 3B ...
Having his bat sixth consistently means the rest of the lineup is carrying them well enough. Second we have Jean Segura. Some have him lower in the lineup. Some have him in the two-hole. The Phillies starting lineup suddenly looks like one of the best in baseball. The Phillies lineup is stacked! Farewell to the days of the Philadelphia Phillies squeaking away with a 1-0 victory.
By signing Nick Castellanos, the Phillies have expressed a high level of commitment to putting a winning baseball team on the field that we haven't seen since ...
The Nick Castellanos signing feels really, really good, and I can’t wait for this good feeling to carry into the regular season. This signing isn’t just exiting because of the luxury tax implications, and I fear that if I talk about that aspect of it too much I’ll come across as someone who cares more about front offices and payroll than the actual baseball games on the field. And even if the Phillies do get back underneath the luxury tax threshold next season, never again will we have to hear, “they’ve never gone over it before, so why would they do it now?” Never again will we have to think about exactly how much room the Phillies have until they hit the luxury tax threshold. Once the ink is dry on the Castellanos deal, the Phillies will have officially gone over the luxury tax for the first time in their history. But Nick Castellanos represented an opportunity to make the team better, and so Dave Dombrowski pulled the trigger. In fact, he creates a bit of a logjam in left field and at the DH spot, and he might make the defense even worse (if that’s possible). As tweets poured in about “drives into deep left field” and “4-0 ballgames,” I could feel the excitement of the Phillies fan base through my phone. So, it’s perfectly fair to wonder why I’m this thrilled about an expensive player who isn’t a perfect fit for the team. Then I saw a third tweet, and a fourth, and a fifth. Then I saw a second tweet about the same exact thing, and I presumed a new rumor must have dropped. The first thing I saw was about Nick Castellanos signing with the Phillies, and I wrote it off as a joke.
The Phillies continued to piece together one of the most exciting offenses in baseball with the signing of Nick Castellanos late Friday.
If it works, they can easily be the most exciting offense in all of baseball. Citizens Bank Park is one of the best hitters park in the league and a perfect environment for this lineup. Still the real problem for the Phillies is sure to be the defense. Nola can expect something similar with an outfield made up of some combo of Schwarber, Castellanos and Harper in two of the three spots. Coming into the offseason, Miami was supposed to compete for at least one big name in free agency. The infield is not much better. Segura is likely to lead off and Realmuto’s speed for a catcher makes him a good option in the two-hole. The pair have -48 and -13 defensive runs saved in the outfield during their careers, respectively. The Phillies have spent a lot of money recently but the results have not paid off. With an expanded playoff in 2022, the chances of the offense being enough to get them in are very high. The Phils were not far off last season, winning 82 games despite a disastrous bullpen. After bringing in Kyle Schwarber, Philly adds Castellanos to an already loaded lineup.
The Philadelphia Phillies made their spring home opener at BayCare Ballpark in Clearwater, Fl., versus the Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday.
It was a great day to be a Phillie, and Phillies fan, indeed. Offseason pick-up Johan Camargo picked up his first hit as a Phillie, a double down the left field line, and was able to score on a RBI bloop single by Luke Williams. After 62 pitches and back-to-back walks to Harper and Realmuto in the third, Jays' starter Allgeyer was taken out and Fitz Stadler took over pitching duties. Nick Nelson, acquired via trade from the New York Yankees in November, Kyle Dohy, Damon Jones, Francisco Morales (2021 no.5 ranked Phillies prospect), Erik Miller, Jeff Singer, and Brian Marconi combined for 6.2 scoreless innings in relief of Nola. Despite the two home runs allowed, Nola fanned five batters and had solid command of his fastball. Almost inevitably, however, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. connected with a baseball and blasted it into the seats in left field.
The Phillies could've signed Carlos Correa for much less than what they paid for Kyle Schwarber and Nick Castellanos. Bryson Stott is their shortstop.
The 24-year-old Stott had a strong Arizona Fall League showing earlier in the offseason, slashing .318/.445/.489 with 10 extra-base hits and 31 RBI spanning 26 games. The approximate $180 million spent has Phillies fans ecstatic, as Managing Partner John Middleton will now pay Major League Baseball’s luxury tax for the first time in franchise history, changing the club’s tune from just last week, when it was reported that President of Baseball Operations, Dave Dombrowski, did not have permission to exceed the $230M threshold. Barring a complete shattering of the luxury tax by signing or trading for another star infielder, the shortstop position from a long-term perspective is ultimately Stott’s to lose.
There is going to be Blue Jays baseball on TV today (and tomorrow, and the day and...). Almost makes me want to rethink my position on atheism.
I guess if Carlos doesn’t like how things are going with the team he could leave. Then again, I already tithe to Rogers. But then praying to Roger Corp seems wrong in so many ways.
The Phillies' late-night signing of Nick Castellanos sent shockwaves throughout the baseball world, and Phillies Twitter responded as only they know how.
Outfield seats will be at a premium this season for the souvenir opportunities alone. This signing gives the Phillies one of the most formidable lineups in baseball. A slow-pitch softball slugging team in red pinstripes.
This won't be the 1980 or 2008 Phillies — there will be flaws with this team. Schwarber and Castellanos combined for -12 defensive runs saved in 2022. They're ...
This team is going to hit a bunch of dingers in 2022. At the outset of the week, the Phillies seemingly needed to add a big bat that could play left field, with Schwarber, Castellanos and Kris Bryant among the options still available. But like I said, it looks good on paper, but you still have to go out there and give it your best effort and still go out there and work hard.” Like I said, you have to have the faith in [Dave] Dombrowski and John Middleton to do their jobs and to get the team that’s best going out there, and what a lineup we’re about to have. The Phillies have yet to make official either signing, but there’s no reason to believe both won’t be donning red pinstripes this season. What an awesome experience that we’re about to have this year,” Harper told the collective media, including MLB.com‘s Todd Zolecki.
It was a slow day Friday, but some major transactions occurred after the sun set on the baseball week.
The Los Angeles Dodgers have not been shy about spending money this offseason, which they continued to do Friday evening. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic says the Red Sox are "firmly in the mix" for the star shortstop, but the "situation is still fluid." At 1:41 a.m., Mark Berman of Houston's Fox 26 reported that Carlos Correa was in agreement with the Minnesota Twins on a three-year/$105.3 million deal.
The Phillies made a huge splash late Friday night, agreeing to a $100 million deal with Nick Castellanos that pushes them over the luxury tax.
Castellanos, a right-handed bat, could hit in the fourth spot, behind Harper, with Hoskins and Realmuto in the middle, as well. In terms of lineup possibilities, the Phils, weak in the leadoff spot a year ago, could use the lefty-hitting Schwarber in that spot against right-handed pitching. Defense was a weakness for the Phillies in 2021. Castellanos is the fourth player on the Phillies roster with a contract worth at least $100 million. The Phils are expected to use him and Schwarber in all of those roles as the team shuttles players between the field and the National League’s new DH spot. Back in November, the team signed closer Corey Knebel to a one-year, $10 million contract.
From the 2022 lineup to luxury tax implications to roster building in years to come, here's what the Castellanos deal means for the Phils.
NEW YORK (AP) — Free-agent slugger Nick Castellanos and the Philadelphia Phillies have agreed to a $100 million, five-year contract, according to a person ...
Free-agent outfielder Nick Castellanos and the Philadelphia Phillies are in agreement on a five-year, $100 million contract, sources familiar with the deal ...
That's the worst figure among all fielders since Castellanos broke into the majors in 2013. Castellanos has primarily played right field since late in the 2017 season after switching away from the hot corner. Castellanos, 30, is coming off his best big league season for Cincinnati, a campaign in which he ranked in the top 10 of the National League in several offensive categories. They also brought back outfielder Odubel Herrera on a one-year contract. Cincinnati then extended Castellanos the qualifying offer of $18.4 million, which he rejected, making him a free agent. Harper said Monday. "He'd be a great middle-of-the-order bat for us."
CLEARWATER, Fla. -- The Phillies are trying to slug their way into the postseason. Sources told MLB.com late Friday night that the Phillies and Nick ...
But the Phillies aren’t going past the luxury tax for Castellanos’ glove. Castellanos has been one of baseball’s best sluggers over the past several years, but after the Phillies and Kyle Schwarber agreed to a four-year, $79 million contract on Wednesday, there was little reason to think that the Phillies would take a run at Castellanos, too. The Phillies had been telling people on Thursday that they were likely finished with the heavy lifting for their 26-man roster, hoping to perhaps supplement the roster with a bench bat to replace Brad Miller or add another relief pitcher for the late innings. If that estimate is accurate, it means the Phillies just shot $10 million over. One source said on Wednesday that Philadelphia had just under $10 million remaining before it reached the luxury tax threshold of $230 million. Sources told MLB.com late Friday night that the Phillies and Nick Castellanos have agreed to a five-year, $100 million contract.
NEW YORK (AP) — Free-agent slugger Nick Castellanos and the Philadelphia Phillies have...
Back in November, Castellanos opted out of the last two years of his contract with Cincinnati, which would have paid him $34 million. They also brought back outfielder Odúbel Herrera on a one-year contract. “We definitely need somebody who gives us the best chance to win. He’d be a great middle-of-the-order bat for us,” Harper said. Phillies President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski was president and general manager of the Tigers when they drafted Castellanos in 2010 and he debuted with Detroit in 2013. NEW YORK (AP) — Free-agent slugger Nick Castellanos and the Philadelphia Phillies have agreed to a $100 million, five-year contract, according to a person familiar with the negotiations.
Does the Philadelphia Phillies signing of Nick Castellanos mean even more help is on the way for the 2022 MLB season?
Philadelphia will want to round out its roster, one that is still behind the New York Mets and even the Atlanta Braves on paper. Now, perhaps the largest ripple this signing has is the potential to add even more players. José Ramírez of the Cleveland Guardians could potentially be pried away to play third base. Couple that with defensive issues with Bohm at third and Gregorius' recent struggles, and things on the defensive side start to look bleak. Following that, the team will then have to decide where it wants to place the rest of its lumber in Bryce Harper, Rhys Hoskins, Jean Segura, and J. T. Realmuto. It is a nice problem to have. The five-year, $100 million deal is worth more than what they had paid to Kyle Schwarber a few days before and the second largest to a Phillies outfielder.
Bryce Harper awakened to the news in his Clearwater Beach condo early Saturday morning and "was blown away." By Jim Salisbury.
"We owe that to our fans, we owe that to the city of Philadelphia and we owe that to our ownership. "We have to go out there and play our game and do the things we can to make sure that we're trying to win games. "I know we're all excited to welcome those guys in here. We owe that to ourselves. "Now we owe that back to them, right?" "Just the length of our lineup is pretty impressive."
The Philadelphia Phillies reportedly continued to upgrade their lineup Friday night by signing All-Star outfielder Nick Castellanos.
His .939 OPS ranked seventh among qualified MLB hitters, and he rated fifth among right fielders in WAR (4.2), according to FanGraphs. Castellanos' other issue is defense. The Phillies are trying to keep pace with the reigning World Series champion Atlanta Braves and the big-spending New York Mets in the NL East.
Nola is in line to make his fifth consecutive opening-day start if Zack Wheeler isn't ready to go.
It‘s a big year for Ortiz, a slugging outfielder who signed for $4 million out of the Dominican Republic in 2015. It’s always neat when you get to play for the team that you grew up with. It was a part of an inning in which Bryce Harper and Didi Gregorius also worked over Allgeyer by drawing walks. Nola is in line for his fifth consecutive opening-day start If Zack Wheeler isn’t ready to go. Bryce Harper, right, chats with Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt before the Phillies played their first home spring-training game Saturday at BayCare Ballpark in Clearwater, Fla. Read more Bryce Harper, right, chats with Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt before the Phillies played their first home spring-training game Saturday at BayCare Ballpark in Clearwater, Fla. Read more
Blue Jays 2 Phillies 3 All that really matters is Vladimir Guerrero homered in his first at-bat and Orelvis Martinez, also in his first at-bat, homered.
* Nathan Lukes: 1 for 1, walk. Lefty hitting outfielder, 27, hit well in AAA for the Rays last year. And the misplay in center. * Fitz Stadler (all 6’9” of him): Got the last two outs of the third inning. Mallez Smith missed a fly ball for the second time in two games (I see it wasn’t an error but it should have been). Nick Allgeyer threw one wide of first on a ground ball tapper. And Chavez Smith lost track of a ball in center field, which lead to the Phillies getting their 3rd run.