After re-signing pitcher Aaron Nola to a hefty deal already this offseason, the Phillies will likely be active in the market as they are seemingly every offseason. There have been names floated around on their roster that could be used in a deal to improve the club as they look to make another deep postseason run in 2024.
Trade: Trade outfielder Nick Castellanos to the Angels for a pair of 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 move Castellanos because he will make $20 million a season for the next three, but they probably would if a deal came along 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 issue, sending Castellanos to the Angels in exchange for outfielders Taylor Ward and Jo Adell gives them more depth in an otherwise sparse 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 main 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 wonderful fit, especially with maybe 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 set to land a record 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 hitters in 388.2 innings pitched while converting 165 of his 190 save opportunities.
Should he accumulate enough innings by the conclusion of his career, his career 15.01 K/9 is on track to be the highest in MLB history.
The market value calculator on Spotrac has Moving on from Castellanos’ $20 million a year makes sense if you can bring in one of the best closers to take the mound. Hader was anticipated to get a five-year, $87.5 million deal, but he will probably earn a deal closer to $100 million.