The Philadelphia Phillies added a big bat to their lineup, agreeing to a five-year, $100 million deal with free agent outfielder Nick Castellanos, multiple media outlets reported Friday night.
Considered a strong hitter but a below average fielder, Castellanos could wind up manning the designated hitter spot for the Phillies with the National League adding the DH as a result of the new collective bargaining agreement.
Castellanos, 30, was selected to the All-Star Game for the first time last season, as a member of the Cincinnati Reds. He finished the year with 34 homers, 100 RBIs and a .309 batting average in 138 games, and he earned his first Silver Slugger honor.
In the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, he had 14 homers, 34 RBIs and a .225 batting average for the Reds. Castellanos produced an American League-high 10 triples in 2017, when he hit 26 homers, drove in 101 runs and batted .272 for the Detroit Tigers.
For his nine-year career, he has 168 homers, 594 RBIs, a .329 on-base percentage and a .486 slugging percentage. Castellanos has played for the Tigers (2013-19), the Chicago Cubs (2019) and the Reds.
