The Phillies released Nick Castellanos on Feb. 12, ending an up-and-down run as the team’s primary right fielder for the last four seasons. He was released with one year left on his contract, with Philadelphia paying roughly $19 million to him that was still owed in the original deal.
In an Instagram post the same day of his release, Castellanos thanked his teammates, owner John Middleton, President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski, coach Paco Figueroa, and the city of Philadelphia. Castellanos thanked fans for their support of him but also for how they embraced his son Liam, saying, “thank you for embracing [him] the way you did. For that I can never repay.”
Signed in March 2022 to a five-year, $100 million contract, Castellanos got off to a slow start in his first season, posting a career-worst in slugging percentage (.389) and hitting the second-fewest home runs he would have in a full season, with just 13. He improved greatly in 2023, making the All-Star team while hitting 29 home runs, driving in 106 runs, and during the NLDS against the Braves, he became the first player in MLB history to hit multiple home runs in consecutive postseason games, with two each in Game 3 and 4 of the series.
His numbers declined again in 2024, and in 2025, his play suffered enough that he would lose his full-time spot in the outfield, splitting time with Max Kepler. Over July-August in 2025, Castellanos hit just .193, drawing 10 walks while striking out 46 times. His defense, known to be an issue prior to his signing, continued to worsen, as he put up -45 fielding runs, ranking as the worst of all position players since 2022.
The 2025 season would prove to be difficult in other ways as well, as Castellanos had been benched in a game in Miami on June 17th for a defensive replacement. In his Instagram post addressing his release, Castellanos addressed the incident, saying that he had brought a Presidente beer into the dugout after being removed, sitting next to manager Rob Thomson, and began to criticize how he was running the team.
That was not the only reported conflict Castellanos had, as an article by Phillies writer Matt Gelb revealed that teammates had soured on Castellanos even before the incident in Miami. Many had considered him as someone who wasn’t a team player, noting instances of him playing music from his own speaker if he had played well, even if the team had lost. Castellanos also held a level of distrust for Thomson and hitting coach Kevin Long, due to neither of them playing at the major league level.
Castellanos, however, was known for his share of good things in the clubhouse as well. He had offered advice to younger players being called up to the majors, gave them a place to stay in his house, and was one of the first players to be at Orion Kerkering’s side following his series-ending error against the Dodgers in the 2025 NLDS. Lily Kemp, the wife of utilityman Otto Kemp, reposted Nick’s post on her story and added that Castellanos and his wife Jess had given them a place in their house upon Otto’s call-up and had treated them like family, thanking the Castellanos family for giving them “a home away from home.”
The outfielder will get a second chance in San Diego, signing for the league minimum with the Padres on Feb. 14. He was seen at their Spring Training camp taking reps at first base, where he is likely to platoon with the left-handed hitting Gavin Sheets.
