The Philadelphia Phillies officially called the split between them and long-time outfielder Nick Castellanos after the former All-Star had an abrupt fall-off with the team in 2025, releasing him on the days leading up to the Valentines Day.
Castellanos, 33, wasn’t a free agent for long, as the San Diego Padres announced that the team has signed him to a one-year deal.
The frustrated veteran will get a fresh start with a new team after an ugly falling out in Philadelphia, the franchise he was with from 2022 to 2025.
Nick Castellanos’ frustrating timeline leading up to release from Phillies
After signing a five-year, $100 million deal with the Phillies in 2022, Castellanos started his tenure with the team on fire. He was an All-Star in 2023 while finishing the year with a .272 batting average and .788 OPS while hitting 29 home runs and 106 RBI.
After this came the fall-off.
He would struggle with defensive consistency in the seasons after. This was followed up with rumors involving his name in trade talks over the 2024 and 2025 seasons.
His relationship with the team hit rock bottom after the outfielder revealed he brought a beer into the dugout after getting benched for a more reliable defender in a game against the Miami Marlins on June 16.
Castellanos would then have his streak of 236 consecutive starts snapped following the incident, and he would become a less-utilized player for the Phillies for the rest of the 2025 season.
Now, he will look to get a fresh start with a Padres team that is expected to be a World Series contender in 2026. In preparation for Spring Training, he’s been seen taking reps at first base for San Diego.
