In March of 2022, Nick Castellanos signed a five year deal with the Phillies worth $100 million. It came on the heels of Kyle Schwarber’s four year, $79 million deal. Both may have been influenced by Bryce Harper, who openly pressed for a couple of big bats to compliment the signing of J.T. Realmuto and Zack Wheeler.
The goal was to field a juggernaut of a team able to not just reach the postseason but to take it as deep into October as possible.
While Schwarber went on to hit more home runs than anyone else in the National League in 2022, Castellanos’s inaugural year in Philly was tarnished by poor plate appearances and subpar fielding.