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Philadelphia Phillies Rumors: Nick Castellanos has become a top target

By Tim Boyle

Cincinnati Reds right fielder Nick Castellanos (2) walks through the dugout after hitting a sacrifice fly to score Jonathan India in the fourth inning of the MLB National League game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Pittsburgh Pirates at Great American Ball Park in downtown Cincinnati on Monday, Sept. 27, 2021. The Reds led 8-1 in the top of the sixth inning.Pittsburgh Pirates At Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds right fielder Nick Castellanos (2) walks through the dugout after hitting a sacrifice fly to score Jonathan India in the fourth inning of the MLB National League game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Pittsburgh Pirates at Great American Ball Park in downtown Cincinnati on Monday, Sept. 27, 2021. The Reds led 8-1 in the top of the sixth inning.Pittsburgh Pirates At Cincinnati Reds /
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The MLB floodgates have opened, and we’re finally getting some Philadelphia Phillies rumors to talk about. The latest from Jon Morosi links them to one of the top sluggers available in free agency, Nick Castellanos.

As Morosi points out, it would be a reunion of sorts. Dombrowski worked for the Detroit Tigers when Castellanos was originally drafted. Both now, at much different points of their respective careers, a reunion between the pair could be exactly what the Phillies need.

Recent Phillies rumors have also linked them to the powerful bats of Kyle Schwarber and Kris Bryant. None of this comes as a surprise. The team is in some dire need of at least one outfielder or possibly even a DH candidate.

Philadelphia Phillies rumors continue to circle around the idea of the team adding a big bopper like Nick Castellanos.

Whether you like Castellanos or Schwarber more is a debate for a different day. Each has pluses and minuses.

From a positional perspective, Castellanos does make a little less sense than Schwarber or Bryant. He has found his spot as a right fielder in recent years, playing it as poorly as he has anywhere. While this makes him a perfect fit for the defensively-challenged Phillies, there’s always the DH spot to plug him in at.

Phillies rumors have been relatively quiet during the lockout and in the few days since it all ended. They seem to have picked up right where they left off, with the team’s main focus being to buy a big bat. With the rotation set and in pretty good shape, it’s really the starting lineup and bullpen they need to focus on.

Signing Castellanos could open the door for the team to eventually let Rhys Hoskins walk in free agency. Both righties and best-equipped to be a designated hitter, the two could co-exist on the same team but don’t necessarily need to. That’s a bridge to cross later on. Right now, the focus should be on signing at least one of these home run hitters mentioned in all of the recent Phillies rumors.

Next. 5 best free agent outfielders for the Phillies. dark

Castellanos is coming off a spectacular .309/.362/.576 performance with 34 home runs and 100 RBI. Routinely a power-hitter even before he became a little more well-known in recent seasons, he’s someone Phillies fans will enjoy seeing on the roster, hitting plenty of deep drives to left field to interrupt a forced apology.

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