Phillies' clubhouse tension will have Reds fans dreaming of surprise reunion

Philadelphia Phillies slugger Nick Castellanos and manager Rob Thomson are at odds. According to reports, Castellanos was withheld from the Phillies lineup on Tuesday after making an inappropriate comment toward Thomson following his removal from Monday's game.

This could easily be much ado about nothing, and Castellanos may be back on the field as soon as the sixth inning of Tuesday's game against the Miami Marlins. But, as Boston Red Sox fans found out earlier this week, sometimes these little internal issues become something much more and result in a star player being traded, as was the case with Rafael Devers.

That begs the question, if the Phillies were to be so furious with Castellanos that they made him available in a trade, would the Cincinnati Reds pounce on the opportunity? While Nick Krall and Reds' ownership might have their reservations, the fanbase would be elated to have Castellanos back in Cincinnati.

Phillies' clubhouse tension will have Reds fans dreaming of surprise reunion with Nick Castellanos

Castellanos joined the Reds roster in 2020. The slugger was coming off a fine campaign split between the Detroit Tigers and Chicago Cubs and was signed to a four-year, $64 million deal. Castellanos struggled during his first season in Cincinnati — though that was the pandemic shortened season in 2020 — but returned with a vengeance in 2021.

Castellanos rode the momentum from his opening series flex against the St. Louis Cardinals to the 2021 MLB All-Star Game. Castellanos led the Reds in RBI (100) that season and then exercised the opt-out clause in his contract. After becoming a free agent, Castellanos signed a five-year, $100 million deal with the Phillies.

Castellanos has one year remaining on his deal after the 2025 season comes to a close, and while it's unlikely that he'll be traded this summer, you never know how quickly these types of disagreements can snowball.

Castellanos is hitting .278/.321/.425 this season with seven home runs. Reds fans would love to have his right-handed hitting bat in the lineup once again, and with Kyle Schwarber and J.T. Realmuto entering free agency next winter, perhaps Philly would like to have Castellanos' $20 million salary off their books.

Unfortunately, this would appear to be llittle more than a pipe dream. It's certainly true, however, that Reds Country would welcome Castellanos back to Cincinnati with open arms. With Castellanos likely off limits at the MLB trade deadline, the Reds will need to turn their attention elsewhere as they look to bolster the lineup.

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