The Philadelphia Phillies have a big choice to make this offseason. 33-year-old outfielder Nick Castellanos, who signed a five-year, $100 million deal with the team in 2022, is now at a crossroads. He hasn’t yet revealed if he will return to Philadelphia after the Los Angeles Dodgers knocked the team out of the NLDS.

Dave Dombrowski talked about Castellanos’s future at a press conference at Citizens Bank Park on Thursday. When asked if Casty could stay with the team in 2026 even though he was upset with them, Dombrowski answered carefully.

“Well, we’ll see what happens,” he mentioned. “I don’t know. I’m not going to get into specific players that are on our roster under contract. But the things that you talked about are accurate. But we’ll see what happens.” The statement left the door conspicuously open for a potential trade, with Dombrowski neither endorsing Castellanos nor dismissing speculation about his departure.

Castellanos made it clear that he was unhappy with his smaller role and manager Rob Thomson during the 2025 season. This made the tension between them even more obvious.

The team put him in the outfield on a platoon basis, which was a big change for someone making $20 million.

Plus, his performance was similar to the team’s problems.

Castellanos had his worst numbers with the Phillies, hitting .250 with a .294 on-base percentage and a troubling -1.0 bWAR in 147 games. His problems in defense made the problems on offense worse, which made it harder to justify his big contract.

Meanwhile, Rob Thomson addressed the reported friction with his own perspective.

“My perspective is it’s good… I never hold any grudges, and if I have a problem with a player or another coach, it doesn’t linger. I’m always a guy that’s going to turn a page on that type of thing.”

As the Phillies navigate these challenging roster decisions, the organization received positive news on another front.

Wheeler’s return offers a silver lining amid roster uncertainty

While the Castellanos situation clouds the Phillies’ outfield picture, the organization received encouraging news about their pitching rotation. Ace right-hander Zack Wheeler is ready to return to the mound early next season, which will give the team some stability.

Wheeler is recovering from surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome faster than expected. Doctors found a blood clot in the veteran’s throwing shoulder last August, which could have ended his career. He had the surgery after that.

Dombrowski outlined Wheeler’s path forward during the same press conference.

“He’s been resting so far. He feels fine. He feels like he should. Nothing has changed. He could be back in six to eight months (after the surgery) pitching for us, and that’s pitching in a game at the Major League level,” Dombrowski shared. The timeline suggests Wheeler could take the mound by Opening Day or late May at the latest.

The president expressed growing confidence in Wheeler’s prognosis. “I feel much more optimistic than when I first heard about it. (Doctors) feel comfortable that he should come back with the same ability he had in the past,” Dombrowski noted. Before the injury stopped his 2025 season, Wheeler had a 10-5 record and a 2.71 ERA.

The Phillies’ offseason plans are based on Wheeler’s promising future. Dombrowski said that the team won’t go after replacement starters aggressively. Instead, they’re counting on Wheeler’s return and breakout ace Cristopher Sánchez, who had a 13-5 record and a 2.50 ERA.