Phillies deny recent rumors about Nick Castellanos trade
On Thursday, it was reported that the Phillies were thinking about trading Nick Castellanos, the slugger who seemed to hit a home run nearly every time he was up to bat in the NLDS against the Atlanta Braves.
That, at first glance, looked like a shock. His offense was a jolt that willed them above the Braves easily, and his attitude on the team was tone-setting.
My colleague Chris Kline put it well:
On the whole, it would be a true shock to the system if the Phillies jettison Castellanos. He fits the blue-collar Philadelphia vibe exceedingly well and fans won't be quick to forget his towering performance against the Braves. The highs were as high as the lows were low.
In response to the shocking rumors, the Phillies have apparently let it leak out that those reports were pure bogus. Buster Olney of ESPN reports that the Phillies have told him Castellanos isn't going anywhere.
In all honesty, that tracks a lot closer to expectation than what we heard Thursday. For now, he's under team control until 2027 when he hits the open market.