Now that the Pirates are rumored to be spenders this offseason, they have been linked to so many different players. Their efforts appear to better than they’ve been in years, but they might be looking in the wrong section, based on the latest report from Jon Heyman.
Heyman wrote that, since the Pirates are trying to spend money on offense this offseason, that Phillies right fielder Nick Castellanos could be a consideration for them. He also added the Marlins to Castellanos’ potential market, another team looking to spend before the CBA changes.
The Phillies are trying to get him out of their outfield, as he is set to earn $20M this season, the last year on his contract. His production no longer matches what he is being paid, and Philadelphia has had enough. Given how bad he has been, generating -0.6 fWAR and a 90 wRC+ in 2025, it would be very difficult for them to find a suitor. So why are the Pirates possibly checking in here?
Pittsburgh needs offense more than ever. Despite the reported financial flexiblity they have this offseason, it can’t go towards washed up stars that have a worse fWAR than Jack Suwinski. Regardless, if Philadelphia sends money along with Castellanos, it still wouldn’t be worth it. Even half of his salary wouldn’t be enough to help the Pirates. Castellanos should be a designated hitter with his awful defense in right field and, at this point, he’d be a downgrade from Andrew McCutchen.
If the Pirates are exploring a Nick Castellanos trade, they might as well bring Andrew McCutchen back.
Last season, McCutchen was signed to a deal worth $5M. His wRC+ of 95 , fWAR of -0.1, OPS of .700, and OBP of .333 were all higher than Castellanos’ latest output. They don’t represent a significant jump from what Castellanos posted, but … still better for $15M less per year. Even the advanced metrics were better. McCutchen had a higher barrel rate of 8.3% to Castellanos’ 7.6%, and bested him in average exit velocity (89.5 mph to 87.8 mph) and hard-hit rate (42.5% to 34.5%). This is also not to mention Castellanos’ high-profile clashes with Phillies manager Rob Thomson as his playing time waned. He’s a poor locker room fit compared to McCutchen as well.
It is unclear whether or not McCutchen is returning to Pittsburgh this offseason. He may be ring chasing and won’t want to put up with the Pirates any longer. If the front office knows for certain that he is not returning, and this is their pivot, then there is a bigger problem in the front office than fans thought.
It’s pretty clear that Castellanos would be a downgrade from McCutchen. While it is great to see the Pirates connected with players, regardless of the money owed to them, they shouldn’t spend just to spend. No matter how much money the Phillies would send along with Castellanos, a trade for him would be a massive mistake.