The Philadelphia Phillies will enter the 2026 season without Nick Castellanos. He signed a contract with the San Diego Padres after being released by the Phillies.
Recently, Kyle Schwarber was asked whether Castellanos's situation was a burden during the season, per Tim Kelly of OnPattison. His response, to say the least, was eye-opening.
“It's neither here nor there,” Schwarber said with an obvious stutter.” We did what we did. We felt like in the Dodgers' series, we played good games. There's things that we didn't execute and we didn't walk away with wins at the end of the day. So it's hard.”
Kyle Schwarber was asked whether Nick Castellanos was a distraction in 2025.
(Via @TimKellySports) pic.twitter.com/NBq1LzTt1t
— OnPattison (@OnPattison) February 13, 2026
Last June, Castellanos brought a beer into the dugout during a game against the Miami Marlins. During the game, he confronted manager Rob Thomson as Schwarber and J.T. Realmuto attempted to diffuse the situation in front of the cameras.
That incident was part of a heightened tension that permeated the rest of the season. Ultimately, it was one of many that led to Castellanos's release. He struggled on defense and had other attitude issues. At the same time, the Phillies weren't able to execute a deal that would have traded him.
Castellanos still had one year and $20 million on his contract.
The Phillies finished the season at 96-66 and won the NL East. In the end, they were defeated by the eventual World Series champion LA Dodgers in four games in the ALDS.
During the season, Schwarber batted .240 with 145 hits, 56 home runs, and 132 RBIs. Meanwhile, Castellanos batted .250 with 137 hits, 17 home runs, and 72 RBIs.
