Nick Castellanos has found a new home. After being with the Philadelphia Phillies since 2022, the outfielder was released by the team. It didn't take long for Castellanos to find a new team, though. Joey Mistretta of ClutchPoints reports that the hitter has signed with the San Diego Padres for the 2026 season. In addition, Mistretta notes that Castellanos' return to Citizens Bank Park will be on June this year when the Padres visit the Phillies.
“Nick Castellanos and the Padres are reportedly in agreement on a contract, per @JonHeyman,” Mistretta posted. “Castellanos, who was recently released by the Phillies, will return to Philadelphia with the Padres on June 2 for a 3-game series.”
Castellanos signed with the Phillies during the 2022 season. During his time on the team, the outfielder was an integral part of Philadelphia's fearsome batting order. However, Castellanos' major flaw even before joining the team was his defense. The outfielder was considered a bad defender both by the eye test and the advanced metrics.
Despite his limitations, manager Rob Thomson valued Castellanos' bat. However, the relationship between the two turned ugly after Thomson pulled the Phillies outfielder due to his shoddy defense. Castellanos reacted negatively to the benching, choosing to bring a beer into the dugout. That incident was the beginning of the end of the outfielder's time in Philadelphia, as contract negotiations between the player and the team broke down this offseason. An anonymous Phillies player, asked about the incident, said this: ““You can’t disrespect the manager and talk to him the way he did. You can’t expect it all to be the same after that.”
After trying to find a suitable trade partner, the Phillies decided to release Castellanos instead. Castellanos is the latest Philadelphia player to leave the team this offseason. Other notable players who left the Phillies this offseason are pitcher Ranger Suarez, outfielder Harrison Bader, and reliever Matt Strahm. They added former ALCS MVP Adolis Garcia, who helped the Texas Rangers win the World Series a few years ago, and reliever Brad Keller.
