Philadelphia Phillies Release Nick Castellanos
CLEARWATER, Florida. – The Philadelphia Phillies have made the decision to release outfielder Nick Castellanos, marking the end of a relationship that had deteriorated over time. The turning point was an incident that occurred last June in Miami. The organization confirmed the player’s departure, who still has US$20 million pending payment this season, an amount that the club will assume despite his disassociation. Dave Dombrowski, president of baseball operations, explained that both parties needed a “change of scenery”. The incident in question took place on June 16 at loanDepot Park. Manager Rob Thomson substituted Castellanos for defensive reasons in the eighth inning of a game against the Marlins. After the decision, the player took a beer to the dugout and had a tense exchange with the coaching staff, questioning the reasons for his substitution. In a letter subsequently published on social media, Castellanos acknowledged that his emotions got the better of him and offered apologies for his behavior. However, the relationship between the player and the organization was already affected by differences regarding their role in the lineup and internal communication. During the past season, Castellanos was progressively relegated, ending up with a platoon role in right field. The team tried to trade him in recent markets, but without success. In 2025, the veteran batted .250 with 17 home runs and 72 RBIs. In four seasons with the Phillies, he left a .260 average and a .732 OPS, in addition to postseason highlights and an All-Star call-up in 2023. Management has signed Cuban Adolis García to a one-year, US$10 million contract to fill the void in the outfield. With the start of training just around the corner, the franchise chose to close the chapter and move on.Castellanos concluded his message by assuring that he loves the game and that he will learn from the experience.At some point you have to recognize that it’s not going to work. Nick did many good things for us, but it was time to move on.
Dave Dombrowski, President of Baseball Operations
