Nick Castellanos pulled last night for defense, calls less playing time a “big adjustment” which makes perfect sense
There’s a whole lot of chatter on the social media this morning after Nick Castellanos was pulled for a defensive upgrade in Harrison Bader late in last night’s 2-1 win over the Braves.
I’ll be honest, I really don’t like any of it and probably not for the reason you think. We’ll start with a simple question. When has Nick Castellanos ever gave an interview that didn’t sound like this?
Nick Castellanos on being replaced in the ninth:
Topper pulled Castellanos late in a tight game and sending in Harrison Bader for defense. Brandon Marsh slid to left, Max Kepler to right, and Castellanos, fresh off batting in the eighth, was done for the night.
Fine. Whatever.
Obviously, it’s a big adjustment for Nick Castellanos. Up until June 16th when Topper pulled him and ultimately benched him the following day for being pissed about it, Castellanos saw his consecutive games started streak end at 236.
Are we supposed to be surprised that Castellanos is frustrated and finds the entire ordeal to be a “big adjustment”?
I’m definitely not because that’s exactly what it is.
Either way, the numbers don’t lie
Casty might’ve nailed Matt Olson at the plate earlier in the night with one of his best throws of the season, but his defensive metrics have been brutal overall.
- -12 Outs Above Average (OAA) this year — dead last out of 113 qualified outfielders.
- -13 Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) — third worst in baseball.
- His average “jump” on balls? 2.8 feet worse than average — 85th out of 86 qualified outfielders.
Compare that to Bader, who has 17 DRS this season (tied for third in MLB) and a staggering +75 OAA since 2018. That’s the most of any active outfielder while Castellanos, in that same span, has posted a lowly -74 OAA.
Maybe the Beat Reporters Should Layoff Nick Castellanos
Topper already made things clear:
“We’re all at the point now where we’re all-in. Whatever is best for the team to win that night, we’re all-in. Check your ego at the door and let’s go.”
Cool. Let’s roll with that.
For anyone paying attention, Nick Castellanos obviously isn’t wrong to feel squeezed. He’s already been left out of the starting lineup four times in the last 13 games, losing reps to Max Kepler in addition to the late-game swaps.
For a longtime everyday outfielder, that’s not just a benching here and there, it’s a drastic shift in his role on the Phillies and no human on earth would be perfectly comfortable in doing it.
The Road Ahead…
I’ve been writing about the outfield platoon for weeks at this point.
Phillies’ outfield rotation is still searching for answers
Thankfully, they are all playing significantly better but at the same time, that was always destined to create more problems down the stretch.
If everyone is playing well, then everyone wants to be on the field, and when they’re not, that will make players frustrated.
Shocker.
Who knows if Friday night was just a one-off in a close game against the Braves or something that we can expect to see more of down the road. The Phillies and Rob Thomson specifically are still searching for answers ahead of the postseason.
Right now, things are tilting more towards Harrison Bader, Brandon Marsh, and shockingly, Max Kepler.
Harrison Bader Since Joining The Phillies
At the end of the night, Topper is playing the numbers. Nick Castellanos is rightfully frustrated and the platoon in the outfield isn’t going anywhere. It is what it is and for a team looking to make a run in October, that’s probably the right call.
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