Nick Castellanos intended to return to the Philadelphia Phillies for the 2026 season to fulfill the final year of his contract. But the Phillies had a different plan for him, and his departure played out very publicly. The veteran quickly signed with the San Diego Padres, who were thrilled to bring him on board.
Facing the Phillies for the first time since leaving, the former All-Star reflected on his time in Philadelphia and reiterated that he had been prepared to come back.
“Yeah, I told them, like, ‘Hey, I’m coming,’ and I was told not to go,” Castellanos said Monday. “Well, you know, I’m an employee. So if I’m an employee, I’m going. Then make me not an employee, and then I [won’t] go. That’s kind of like the way that it ended up.”
In his first game against his old team, Castellanos started but went 0-for-4. Even though he didn’t produce offensively, facing the Phillies helped get the awkwardness out of the way.
Castellanos still had one year remaining on his five-year, $100 million deal with the Phillies when he was let go. The Philadelphia media questioned his character, including publishing a report that he brought a beer into the clubhouse during the 2025 season.
That raised eyebrows around the league, but the Padres looked past the controversy. While Castellanos wasn’t pleased with how the Phillies handled the situation, he no longer holds a grudge.
“What am I going to sit here and start thinking about a bunch of stuff and be playing judge and jury?” Castellanos said. “I could do that. But that’s not going to help anybody or make any situation better. They handled it the way that they handled it and obviously it led to just me being in a tough spot at the end, not really knowing what was up.”
Now in San Diego, Castellanos is focused on moving on from the past. He’s happy with the Padres, despite an initial reduction in consistent playing time.
That has been his biggest challenge this season, but the organization has stood by him. Castellanos has struggled at the plate to start the year, though he continues to make adjustments to improve his swing.
So far, he’s batting .183 with four home runs and 19 RBIs, posting a .556 OPS. The slugger can only keep working on himself, staying ready to help the Padres win whenever his name is called.
Despite the messy ending in Philadelphia, Castellanos experienced plenty of success with the team, including a World Series appearance. Now he hopes to achieve the same with the Padres, and his experience could prove invaluable as the club chases a title.
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