Source: Former Phillies OF Nick Castellanos agrees to deal with Padres
Castellanos agreed to a league minimum contract with San Diego, which will be deducted from the $20 million the Phillies owe him for the 2026 season.
CLEARWATER, Fla. — Nick Castellanos has a new team.
Two days after the Phillies released him with one year left on his contract, Castellanos agreed Saturday to join the Padres, a major league source confirmed.
The Phillies will pay all but the major league minimum ($780,000) portion of his $20 million salary for 2026.
The Phillies were intent on moving on from Castellanos after he clashed last season with manager Rob Thomson. In response to a report that was about to be published by The Athletic, Castellanos detailed a June 16 incident in which he brought a beer into the dugout in the eighth inning of a game in Miami after Thomson replaced him for defense. Castellanos was benched for the next game.
» READ MORE: A beer in the dugout, a benching, and a rift with his manager: Inside the final Phillies season for Nick Castellanos
Castellanos, who ranked among the worst defenders in the sport, also lost his everyday role in right field in August and publicly criticized Thomson in September for “questionable” communication.
“It was just a difficult situation,” Thomson said recently on Phillies Extra, The Inquirer’s baseball podcast. “The thing with Nick, the bottom line is, he wants to play every day. He wants to play every inning, every day, and you can’t fault him for that. I think I respect him a great deal, just for being that guy.”
Castellanos played literally every day for most of his time with the Phillies after signing a five-year, $100 million contract in 2022. He started 236 consecutive games, including all 162 in 2024. It was the longest streak by a Phillies player since Pete Rose started 350 consecutive games from 1980 to 1983.
» READ MORE: Hayes: Selfish, insubordinate Nick Castellanos is released by Phillies then issues a wild manifesto on Instagram
A two-time All-Star with 250 career homers, Castellanos batted .260 with 82 homers and a .732 OPS for the Phillies. His OPS+ of 100 indicated league-average production relative to all major league hitters.
Castellanos reportedly will play first base for the first time in his career for the Padres, who also intend to use him as a designated hitter. He could see time in the outfield, although San Diego is well-stocked with Fernando Tatis Jr. and Ramón Laureano in right and left, respectively, with Jackson Merrill in center field.
The Phillies play the Padres on May 25-27 in San Diego and June 2-4 at Citizens Bank Park.