What Would an Eiberson Castellano Trade With the Philadelphia Phillies Look Like?

[bean5302]

50 minutes ago, KBJ1 said:

If rule 5 allows a trade that bypasses waiver requirements,  then do.it. 

Stewart is a stud when healthy. Topa isnever healthy, Alcala has been mis firing for 6 years now and Tompkins is a retread. 

If the trade costs Zebby Matthews would you just do it? It's all about what the asking price would be (assuming this could happen). I don't see the reason the Phillies wouldn't demand a significant prospect. Castellano is in the Twins' top 20, and he may be valued higher than the #16 rank he holds on MLB.

There's a roster crunch for all the teams right now. The Phillies might bank on getting Castellano back for free, just like the banked on nobody really having eyes on him for the Rule 5 draft. Philadelphia is in a more powerful position than the Twins in this scenario since the Phillies aren't losing anything they have. 

[madtowntwin]

Does not look like the Twins used Castellan against his former team today. Now, had he pitched like Pablo Lopez perhaps they would reconsider his value....

[old nurse]

On 3/10/2025 at 2:04 AM, Matthew Trueblood said:

IMPORTANT: No, this isn't true. I've had a hard time running down whether it's the result of a change to the process or whether it's always been this way and some combination of gentlemen's agreements or circumstances allowed previous deals to happen, but I've confirmed this with a high-ranking baseball official. The player DOES have to pass through waivers and (technically) first be returned to the original team before a trade to remove their Rule 5 restrictions can be executed. No workaround. The ONLY way for Rule 5 restrictions to lift is if the player clears waivers.

The rule then would be as it has always been. The Twins could trade Castellano to another team if they so chose. The same rule 5 restrictions would continue to apply to him in that he would have to be a 40 man roster. If a team wishes to send a player to the minors, they have to offer him back to the Phillies.  The Phillies can accept him back or work out a trade. .

[old nurse]

What seems to e lost in the discussion is what the Phillies want in trade.  With Castellano he was their minor league pitcher of the year. They do have like 3-4 near major league pitching prospects that had to be protected or risk losing. These prospects have neither proved they belong at the major league level, nor have they disproved it.  Castellano does not appear to be near major league ready. The Phillies gambled and momentarily lost. They had an open spot o the 40 man. They used it to draft a player that the traded to Tampa for cash.  I suspect they do not foresee anyone stashing Castellano. The reasons have been fairly well covered They have the leverage in a trade negotiation.. They do not have to take garbage back in trade. They would want an equivalent player back.  A high ceiling pitching prospect that does not have to be on the 40 man roster. Those are not readily available, which would be why the Twins picked Castellano in the first place. That could reasonably be why a trade has not happened. Nor will happen. 

[Matthew Trueblood]

1 hour ago, old nurse said:

The rule then would be as it has always been. The Twins could trade Castellano to another team if they so chose. The same rule 5 restrictions would continue to apply to him in that he would have to be a 40 man roster. If a team wishes to send a player to the minors, they have to offer him back to the Phillies.  The Phillies can accept him back or work out a trade. .

Yes, except two clarifications:

1. 26-man active roster, not 40-man roster; and

2. At no point can he be offered directly and solely back to the Phillies. That's always how it's been phrased, in public, which is weird, because it's not how it works or has ever worked. What has to happen is that he has to be waived, and clear waivers, AND THEN be offered back to the team. Often, the difference is functionally nil, because these guys are (by definition) not in high demand. Their own team already declined to put them on the 40-man after several years in the organization, and now they come with this extra burden if you do claim them. But just so we all understand that part, the Phillies don't get to jump the line to get him back if the Twins don't want him. The other 28 teams get a chance to take him instead, if they're dealing with injuries or something and like what they've seen.

[Cris E]

If we hang on to him as a Rule V and he excels then he's pitching well for us in MLB and that's awesome. If he does not excel then his value will be lower than it is today and it might be easier to move him through whatever channels are required. If there are some guys like Tonkin that don't have options then we may lose them, but the injury bug has bitten enough folks that we can delay that choice via the IL.

[USAFChief]

I don't understand the hype here. I guess if the staff feels there's hidden potential here, ok. Try to work out a trade.

But this seems to me much ado about nothing, and they sure as heck shouldn't try to carry him on the roster all season unless he's somehow ready to assume that the role of contributing member.  And that seems to me pretty optimistic. 

 

[Fatbat]

21 hours ago, USAFChief said:

I don't understand the hype here. I guess if the staff feels there's hidden potential here, ok. Try to work out a trade.

But this seems to me much ado about nothing, and they sure as heck shouldn't try to carry him on the roster all season unless he's somehow ready to assume that the role of contributing member.  And that seems to me pretty optimistic. 

 

IKR! Optimism on this site is rarely permitted without intense scrutiny! It’s a pretty cheap way to take a flier on a kid that has a 98mph fastball and decent off speed stuff.  

[Doctor Gast]

PHI probably asked for one of these non-roster prospects you mentioned or even higher. I'd trade any one of those you mentioned, because I don't think any of them will make it to the Twins club. They are no more than trade bait. But Twins are prospect huggers, they'll hang unto them for dear life. They'll jeopardize Castellano's development to keep them & gain another in Castellano. Castellano is a keeper but is he worth keeping while jeopardizing his development & Twins' chances to win the division? That is debatable. I'm leaning yes. It's better if they give up a reasonable prospect instead but if that's not possible then I'd try to hide him with mop up duties. I don't like to play chicken with Castellano's development, but I think the odds are on our side & we have nothing to lose.