Report: Phillies Agree to Terms With Nick Castellanos

The Phillies have signed free agent Nick Castellanos, eclipsing the luxury tax for the first time in club history.

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Outfielder Nick Castellanos and the Philadelphia Phillies are in agreement on a contract, sources familiar with the deal tell ESPN.

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) March 19, 2022

For the first time in their history, the Philadelphia Phillies will exceed the luxury tax. According to Jeff Passan of ESPN, the club has come to terms with free agent Nick Castellanos.

Per Jon Heyman of Audacy Sports, Castellanos gets a five-year/$100 million deal. 

After signing free agent Kyle Schwarber on Wednesday to a four-year/$79 million deal, it seemed like the Phillies had made their one and only big splash of the offseason. They were then within only $13 million of the first luxury tax threshold.

Castellanos' AAV easily eclipses the $230 million threshold, a line which Phillies managing partner John Middleton has refused to cross since he took control of the club.

Now that the Phillies have Castellanos and Schwarber, their defense may be a puzzle, but with the implementation of the universal DH, manager Joe Girardi should be able to start both players regularly.

Last year, Castellanos lost seven defensive runs in right field, while Schwarber lost five runs playing left field, so naturally, one of these players will start at DH almost every day.

However, the offensive production of the two sluggers might be enough to off-set the team's defensive liabilities.

Last year, Castellanos slashed .309/.362/.576 with 34 home runs in 585 plate appearances.

That level of power, combined with the addition of Schwarber's more patient approach, may make the 2022 Phillies lineup the most fearsome iteration in club history.

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