The Phillies are finalizing a deal to acquire free-agent outfielder Nick Castellanos, according to Jeff Passan of ESPN.

Castellanos has drawn interest from the Phillies dating all the way back to November, and now he’s officially here. Dave Dombrowski has worked with Castellanos before, selecting him in the first-round back with the Detroit Tigers in 2010. 

Castellanos will sign a 5-year deal with the Phillies worth $100M, pushing the team over the luxury tax threshold for the first time ever. Due to Castellanos receiving a qualifying offer from Cincinnati, the Phillies will also sacrifice a second-round pick.

The 30-year-old outfielder has tallied 168 HRs and 594 RBIs over his 9-year career in the league. He’s posted a career line of .278/.329/.486, with a .814 career OPS. 

Nick Castellanos is coming off the best season of his career, being the backbone of the Cincinnati Reds team throughout his 138 games played. Castellanos slashed .309/.362/.576, with 34 HRs, 100 RBIs, 38 doubles, and an OPS of .939. He finished the season with a 3.2 WAR and played 135 games in left field for the Reds last season. 

John Middleton has finally realized that going over the luxury tax is a necessity to be a successful baseball team. Bryce Harper has been in both Middleton and Dombrowski’s ears over the last week, stressing the importance of getting talent in this clubhouse. With the current state of the Mets and Braves, Bryce doesn’t want to sit in the back-seat of this division anymore.

Nick Castellanos is a Phillie, and as of today, Phillies baseball is officially back. The team is set to play their first televised game of the spring tomorrow, after today’s non-televised game ended in a tie.

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Mandatory Credit: AP Photos