Will Nick Castellanos Turn Over a New Leaf With The Padres Burning Bridges With The Phillies?

Nick Castellanos had a very interesting 48 hours.

Only days before he was due to report for spring training, the Philadelphia Phillies abruptly released him with a year remaining on his contract.

A mere 48 hours later, Castellanos, who turns 34 next month, signed a one-year deal with the San Diego Padres for the MLB minimum $780,000 with the Phillies on the hook for the balance of the $20 million he was due to make this season.

Castellanos' falling out with the Phillies stems from an incident in a game against the Miami Marlins in Miami (where Castellanos lives) back in June during which manager Rob Thomson pulled him out of the game for late inning defense. In protest of the decision, Castellanos brought an open beer to into the dugout which several teammates including Kyle Schwarber urged him to put away so as not to be caught on TV. 

For his part, Castellanos openly questioned the credibility of both Thomson and hitting coach Kevin Long because neither had played at the major league level. It is a curious comment considering, Thomson was hired by the Phillies following Joe Girardi's dismissal in mid-season in 2022 and turned around the club en route to a NL pennant. 

Castellanos' was in the first season of a five-year contract with the Phillies after a career year with the Cincinnati Reds in 2021 (.309 BA 34 HR 100 RBI). His tenure in Philly has been largely disappointing although he did drive in a career high 106 runs in 2023 along with 29 HR and a respectable .272 batting average. In 2025, Castellanos hit .250 with 17 HR and 72 RBI. Complicating matters is that he below average defender in both the outfield and at third base. 

While Castellanos wanted to play for the Marlins, he would have encountered the same problem he had with the Phillies. Neither Marlins manager Clayton McCullough nor hitting coach Pedro Guerrero had played at the major league level. In case you're wondering, this is not the same Pedro Guerrero who starred with the Los Angeles Dodgers during the 1980s.

Castellanos does not have this issue in San Diego with both manager Craig Stammen and hitting coach Steven Souza, Jr. having both played at the big-league level. Indeed, he praised Stammen:

He’s a player. He’s done it. He’s put on spikes. He’s grinded. He’s felt the feeling of success, and he’s also felt the feeling of when the game doesn’t go your way. There’s a lot of respect in that. I’m excited to do whatever he needs me to do.

In this particular case, Stammen has asked Castellanos to play first base, a position he has never played before. He will be in the same infield with Manny Machado, a friend since childhood.

Perhaps Castellanos can turn over a new leaf in San Diego and rebuild his career. A rebound season (especially if he helps the Padres win their first ever World Series title and perhaps a World Series MVP to boot) could help get one last big payday whether it be in San Diego or somewhere else.

With 13 seasons of big-league ball under his belt with the Detroit Tigers, Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds and Philadelphia Phillies, Castellanos enters 2026 with 1742 hits in 1688 career games for a lifetime batting average of .272 with 250 HR and 920 RBI along with 399 career doubles.