February 24, 2026
Capture

The Philadelphia Phillies have lost another possible team to trade Nick Castellanos to after outfielder Austin Hays signed with the Chicago White Sox on Saturday. Hays, who was once part of the Phillies roster, has unintentionally complicated Philadelphia’s efforts to move Castellanos.

The Phillies have been dealing with ongoing tensions with Castellanos for several seasons and have been trying to find a team willing to take over his contract. However, Hays joining the White Sox likely removes Chicago as a possible destination for Castellanos.

Nick Castellanos - Philadelphia Phillies Right Fielder - ESPN

Hays originally joined Philadelphia after being traded from the Baltimore Orioles during the 2024 trade deadline. Unfortunately, his time with the team was limited to just 22 games due to injuries, including a hamstring problem and a kidney infection. He later recovered and performed better in 2025 while playing for the Cincinnati Reds, posting a .768 OPS in 103 games.

The White Sox were considered a strong candidate for a Castellanos trade because they have shown willingness to take on player contracts and salaries. Castellanos is still owed $20 million for the 2026 season, although the Phillies may still need to cover a large portion of that amount even if he is traded.

Castellanos’ time in Philadelphia has been inconsistent since signing a five-year deal before the 2022 season. While he has shown flashes of strong performance, his frequent strikeouts and defensive limitations have frustrated fans, especially as his offensive numbers declined. During the 2025 season, he recorded a .250 batting average, .294 on-base percentage, and .400 slugging percentage, finishing with a .694 OPS, ranking near the bottom among qualified outfielders.

Nick Castellanos now has 9 career grand slams. The only active players in  baseball with more grannies are Manny Machado and Giancarlo Stanton 

This offseason appears to be Philadelphia’s final opportunity to trade Castellanos. Team president Dave Dombrowski has stated that the organization plans to move on from him before spring training begins. Although other options remain, the Phillies are running out of time to complete a deal.

1 thought on “Breaking News: “Phillies Loses Key Potential Trade Partner Following Austin Hays Signing

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *