Are the Phillies Setting Their Sights on Nick Castellanos?

The Phillies have remained dormant in the offseason so far, but could that change with the big splash signing of outfielder Nick Castellanos?

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The Philadelphia Phillies have been in contact with representatives of free agent outfielder Nick Castellanos, Jon Morosi reports.

Source: The #Phillies have had recent contact with reps for free agent Nick Castellanos. Of note, Dave Dombrowski was #Tigers President/GM when Castellanos was Detroit’s top pick in 2010. @MLBNetwork @MLB

— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) November 29, 2021

With the Phillies in need of a left fielder and a consistent bat towards the top of their lineup, they may look to Nick Castellanos, who has been a premier player in baseball over the past several seasons and is coming off of his greatest season yet.

In 2021, Castellanos batted .309 with a .939 OPS. He reached the coveted 100 RBI mark while scoring 95 runs and sending 34 balls over the fence. He also received his first ever All-Star selection in 2021, as well as his first Silver Slugger award.

Castellanos elected to opt-out of his contract with the Reds and is now available for the taking. The Phillies have holes in the outfield and could be looking to fill those spots with slam dunk players. Castellanos is no doubt a slam dunk guy, but the question is: How much would this signing cost?

Well, Castellanos is reportedly looking for a seven or eight year deal, which might automatically deter teams and fans from wanting to sign him. On top of that, Castellanos’ estimated market value is up to a $21.3 million average annual salary according to spotrac.com.

This would suggest that a seven year deal could cost nearly $150 million.

The question then becomes: Would Dombrowski and the Phillies even consider going for something like that?

With other major free agent outfielders like Starling Marte, Avisail Garcia, and Mark Canha being taken, the options are slowly getting smaller and smaller. Kyle Schwarber and Michael Conforto are both still available, but Castellanos is undoubtedly a better option than either of them.

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There is also a connection between Castellanos and the Phillies as Dave Dombrowski, Phillies President of Baseball Operations, was the President/GM of the Detroit Tigers when Castellanos was drafted in 2010.

Dombrowski watched his draft pick in Detroit for a couple seasons before he was released by the Tigers in Aug. 2015. Castellanos went on to have a successful career in Detroit before a short stint with the Cubs, and then with the Reds where he really flourished.

It should not come as a shock to hear the Phillies are entertaining the idea of scooping Castellanos up, but his contract will almost certainly be the biggest of all free agent outfielders this offseason.

Despite looming financial concerns, just imagine Castellanos and Bryce Harper patrolling the same outfield in Philadelphia. Quite the intriguing thought to say the least. 

More From SI's Inside The Phillies:

• MLB Hot Stove: What Exactly is the Phillies' Plan?
• Four Fringe Players Phillies Could Sign to Fill the Gaps
• Phillies Considered "Sleeper" for Star Shortstop

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