Reds could benefit from patience as this reunion opportunity lingers

There's been one Philadelphia Phillies slugger that the Cincinnati Reds continue to find themselves attached to in rumors: Kyle Schwarber. The reigning National League home run king would be a perfect fit for a lineup in need of some power (especially from the left-handed side of the plate), and his swing is practically tailor-made to take advantage of Great American Ball Park.

However, seeing as money is a thing the Reds don't like to spend and Schwarber is going to command a lot of it in free agency, the fit may only be as seamless as Bob Castellini's wallet allows. So, what if another Phillies player became available for cheap? And what if he just so happened to endear himself to Reds fans during his (all too brief) stint with the franchise earlier in his career?

Yes, Nick Castellanos appears to be available via trade this offseason, but with one year and $20 million remaining on his contract, the Reds would be right to wait out his market if they want a reunion to happen.

A Nick Castellanos-Reds reunion could be on the table if the Phillies fail to find trade suitor

Castellanos' waning production, awful defensive metrics, and bloated contract are going to make him the black sheep of the trade market this winter. He hit just .250/.294/.400 (90 wRC+) in 2025, and at $20 million, that kind of production simply isn't tenable for a contending franchise.

However, at about $5 million, he'd be a good slugger to have in the lineup. That would only be possible if the Phillies are forced to release him (or eat a majority of his remaining contract), but that looks rather likely given that president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski basically said the team will move on from Castellanos this offseason.

And, for all of his recent struggles, Castellanos can still hit. He has 69 home runs over the past three seasons and has played in at least 147 games in each campaign. Reds fans only need to think back to 2021 to remember his peak, when he posted a 140 wRC+ and 35 home runs as one of the best hitters in the sport.

Castellanos, like Schwarber, would require Terry Francona and the front office to be comfortable with deploying a full-time designated hitter. The former played 143 games in right field because of the latter's presence in Philadelphia this year, but Castellanos accrued -12 Outs Above Average and -11 Defensive Runs Saved. By virtually any metric, he was one of the worst defenders in baseball this season, and his next team will all but certainly have to stash him at DH.

This is an ongoing conversation within the franchise, and it's part of the reason why the Reds may not re-sign Miguel Andujar despite his torrid second half with the team in 2025.

Castellanos shouldn't be the front office's Plan A (or Plan B, for that matter), but if the chance comes to add him for cheap, he could infuse the lineup with a lot of power for the price of a few million dollars and less positional flexibility.