Guardians and 2 other teams that must pursue Nick Castellanos trade

The Philadelphia Phillies are expected to trade veteran outfielder/designated hitter Nick Castellanos this offseason. While a potential Castellanos trade has yet to come to fruition, a deal still seems like a realistic possibility. Finding a trade has seemingly been difficult, though. There are three teams that make sense as landing destinations for the veteran, however.

At 33 years old, Castellanos is not the same player he once was. With that being said, he’s still a right-handed slugger with power. His .694 OPS was far from ideal in 2025, but Castellanos’ 17 home runs and 27 doubles would have helped a number of other ball clubs around the league. With consistent playing time, there is reason to believe he can be even better in 2026.

Without further ado, here are three teams that must consider pursuing a Nick Castellanos trade with the Phillies.

Cleveland Guardians

The Guardians won the American League Central in 2025. Their offense needs more firepower, though. Cleveland will struggle to reach the World Series without an offensive boost.

In 2025, the Guardians were 20th in home runs, 24th in doubles, 28th in runs scored, 29th in batting average and 29th in OPS. Jose Ramirez is one of the best players in baseball and Steven Kwan is an All-Star, but Cleveland clearly needs another bat or two in the lineup.

If acquired, Castellanos would play either in the outfield or designated hitter with Cleveland — with those both being areas of need for the Guardians. Cleveland would likely only need to take on a few million dollars of his salary as well.

A trade makes sense.

Cincinnati Reds

Similarly to the Guardians, the Reds are a ball club in need of offensive help. Nick Castellanos also previously spent time with Cincinnati, so the feeling of familiarity could benefit him.

The Reds were 19th in OPS, 19th in batting average and 21st in home runs in 2025. Castellanos’ right-handed power would play well in Cincinnati.

Elly De La Cruz is a star and the Reds have some other reliable hitters, but they lack a true right-handed power bat. Castellanos may be the answer. Cincinnati was also previously linked to sluggers such as Luis Robert Jr. and Kyle Schwarber, so they are seemingly in the market for adding a hitter.

Seattle Mariners

The Guardians and Reds both simply need lineup help. As for the Mariners, their lineup is talented. At the moment, Seattle has enough offense to compete at a high level.

The Mariners’ placement on this list is a result of specific roster needs. Seattle could use a right fielder or a DH. Victor Robles had a .611 OPS last season, and he’s expected to play right field in 2026 according to most depth chart outlooks. Dominic Canzone is listed as a DH, and he had an .839 OPS a season ago. Canzone can play right field as well, though.

Seattle would have flexibility in a possible Castellanos trade. The 33-year-old could move between DH and right field, or even spend all of his time in one of the roles. Either way, a Mariners’ trade for Castellanos should not be ruled out.

Nick Castellanos is a player all three of the aforementioned teams should at least inquire about. The Phillies probably won’t require much in return and will likely pay most of his 2026 salary. For teams in need of another outfielder/DH presence and/or added offense, Castellanos makes sense.

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