One trade, one signing Phillies should make
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.
Due to make $20M over each of the next three seasons, the Phillies don’t need to deal Castellanos, but if a deal arises that could improve the club chances are they would listen to it.
The Angels just lost slugger Shohei Ohtani to their cross-town rival Los Angeles Dodgers and will likely be in the market to try and replace his production as much as they can. Castellanos could be just what they need.
Sending Castellanos to the Angels for outfielders Taylor Ward and Jo Adell not only helps with the cap situation in Philadelphia, it also gives them added depth to a thin outfield.
Over the past two seasons, Ward has put up a .269/.349/.451 slash line with 79 extra-base hits and 112 RBI in 232 games played.
Adell had a bounce-back year in the minors, including 24 home runs in 74 games in Triple-A this season, but he has failed to translate that to the majors. With a .214/.259/.366 slash line with 18 home runs and 66 RBI in 178 career games in the MLB, a change of scenery could be what is needed for him to fulfill his potential.
A Phillies outfield consisting of Ward, Adell, Brandon Marsh, Kyle Schwarber and Johan Rojas would give the team the ability to shift Schwarber to designated hitter and keep his suspect defensive out of the equation.
Signing: Sign closer Josh Hader
Relief pitcher Craig Kimbrel chose to sign with the Baltimore Orioles, leaving a void in the back of the bullpen in Philadelphia. With maybe the most sought-after free-agent relief pitcher to hit the market in recent memory available, it seems like a perfect match.
Fresh off a 2023 season that saw him convert 33 of 38 save opportunities with a 1.28 ERA and 85 strikeouts in 56.1 innings pitched, left-hander Hader is looking for a historic deal for a closer and he will likely get it.
Only 29 years old, Hader has posted eye-popping numbers in his seven-year MLB career, converting 165 of his 190 save opportunities while striking out 648 batters in 388.2 innings pitched.
His career 15.01 K/9 is on pace to be the highest MLB history if he reaches enough innings by the end of his career.
Spotrac’s market value calculator has Hader projected to sign a five-year, $87.5M deal but he will likely receive a deal closer to $100M, another reason why moving on from Castellanos’ $20M annually makes sense if you can bring in one of the greatest closers to take the mound.
