Which team will Nick Castellanos play for in 2026? His time with the Phillies will likely come to an end in the next few weeks.

What are the best fits the 33-year-old outfielder? We’ll have to see how the market plays out, but here are a few predictions from Phillies Nation staff writers.

Corey Seidman – Staff Writer — Cincinnati Reds

Accurately predicting Castellanos’ next team at this point in the offseason is difficult, but I feel comfortable assuming it will not be the Phillies. Even if they’re unable to find an enthusiastic trade partner for him for the second straight offseason, they should at least be able to find a club in need of an outfielder close to spring training. At that point, the Phils would either eat most of the salary, accept little to nothing in return, or perhaps both. The idea of a team that wasn’t good enough running it back with a player who was such a consistent negative on both sides of the ball for chunks of the season would be illogical.

I do think that will be the next “fit” for Castellanos, though — a team that finds itself in need of a starting or platoon corner outfielder just as the regular season approaches. It’s hard to imagine any club prioritizing him this winter or actively pursuing him. It would be more like a backup plan for his next team. And that will make the offseason tricky for the Phillies, because even if they don’t find a taker for months, they almost have to act like Castellanos isn’t on the roster. With that said, we know Castellanos had lots of success in his one full year in Cincinnati. The Reds could use a DH or right-handed-hitting corner outfielder and don’t spend money, so they could see Castellanos as an inexpensive flier if the Phillies take on half of his $20M salary. I’ll go with them.

Bailey Digh – Staff Writer — Miami Marlins

Honestly, I had a hard time guessing here. Why? Because if I ran a club’s baseball operations, I wouldn’t want Castellanos playing for me in 2026. But I’ll choose the Marlins for two reasons.

One: Miami is an easy cop-out guess. Castellanos is from Miami, and it’s been reported that he wanted to play there before the Phillies offered and signed him to his five-year, $100 million contract before the 2022 season. Two: Miami ranked 24th in Major League Baseball last year in OPS against left-handed pitching. While Castellanos posted a .680 OPS versus lefties in 2025, he had success against them between 2023 and 2024 (.882 OPS). Maybe if the Marlins squint hard enough, they see Castellanos as a bounce-back candidate that can serve as a part-time outfielder or designated hitter against left-handed pitching in 2026. But who knows? Maybe he’s a Rakuten Golden Eagle or Hanshin Tiger next year.

Destiny Lugardo – Site Director — Pittsburgh Pirates 

The Pirates want Kyle Schwarber. They’re not going to get him. Pittsburgh, however, could be an appealing landing spot for Castellanos. The Pirates should aim higher in its search for a veteran power bat, but if they can’t find a match, Castellanos could be a fit as a potential DH/outfielder. Castellanos, at the very least, should get along well with manager Don Kelly. Kelly took a young Castellanos under his wing when the two played together for the Detroit Tigers. After Kelly’s promotion to Pirates manager in May, Castellanos sent over a box of cigars to the Pirates clubhouse to congratulate his former teammate. Kelly has known Castellanos’ son Liam since he was an infant. There is a bond and mutual respect there.

Nathan Ackerman – Staff Writer — Kansas City Royals 

There were mild reports of hypothetical interest — I know, quite the smoking gun — around the trade deadline, and MLB.com’s Anne Rogers notes that adding an impact bat, ideally a corner outfielder, is on the Royals’ offseason to-do list. Of course, Castellanos might not be either of those things at this point, but Kansas City might be a stronger player in the trade market than the free-agency one, and maybe the Royals have faith that a change of scenery can turn things around for Castellanos. At the very least, maybe they’d see him as an inexpensive (given that the Phillies would pay down most of his contract) dart throw who could help out some of their younger players, like he did over the years in Philadelphia. The Royals ranked 26th in homers last year. Castellanos probably doesn’t help with that. But Kauffman Stadium is big. Maybe there’s a 30-double season in there.

Ty Daubert — Editorial Director — Cleveland Guardians

Cleveland is a perennial postseason contender, and the club is consistently hunting for bargains. So if the Guardians can take a buy-low shot on a former All-Star in Castellanos, what’s the downside? The club could use some outfield reinforcement next year. The Guardians platooned George Valera and Johnathan Rodríguez in right field in the 2025 Wild Card Series; it couldn’t hurt to see if Castellanos is a better option as he looks to bounce back from a career-worst season. Perhaps he looks just the same and Cleveland cuts ties early. But both sides could benefit from giving Castellanos an opportunity on a solid team.