A 25-year-old Padres star joins the proposed Philadelphia Phillies blockbuster.
A potential Phillies trade would bring one of baseball’s greatest young players from the San Diego Padres.
Mike Trout, the Philadelphia Phillies’ ideal target, will most likely be sidelined for another year due to knee surgery. Trout, who has not sought a trade, was thought to be on the verge of asking out as the Los Angeles Angels failed to surround him with a quality club.
Dave Dombrowski is always active around the trade deadline, knowing the Phillies are in a win-now situation and that every move counts.
Unfortunately, that will not be Trout this season.
However, a proposed exchange from Michael Fisher of That Balls Outta Here leads to the next best thing.
Fisher’s trade proposal swaps Nick Castellanos and a “top pitching prospect” for San Diego Padres star Fernando Tatis Jr.
The outfielder, who recently inked a rich 14-year, $340 million contract, would be an ideal replacement for Castellanos in Philadelphia.
Former MLB general manager Dan O’Dowd, now with MLB Network, stated that if Tatis became available, at least seven or eight teams would make an offer.
While adding Tatis’ contract would be a tall order for Dombrowski and owner John Middleton, there are advantages because of his age.
The 25-year-old was regarded as one of baseball’s best players until being suspended for 80 games after testing positive for Clostebol, a performance-enhancing steroid that violated the MLB’s Drug Program.
The 2021 All-Star’s brilliance is apparent, but baseball fans appear to have stopped talking about him since his ban.
Tatis, who is currently hitting.238/.326/.437, has struggled at the plate early in the season. However, his six home runs and 17 RBIs in 126 at-bats are a positive indicator.
Tatis would be a significant improvement over Castellanos, who suffered greatly in 2024.
Whether Dombrowski is ready to pay the price is one thing; but, if Castellanos is unable to turn things around by the deadline, this could be a move they consider.
