Nick Castellanos is turning the page on his time with the Philadelphia Phillies. Castellanos — who was signed by the San Diego Padres on Saturday — reflected on the ending of his Phillies tenure Sunday, saying he didn't handle his outburst in Miami well.
While Castellanos overall stood by the way he approached things with the Phillies, he admitted the "Miami Incident" — in which Castellanos brought a beer into the dugout and berated coaches after being removed from a game in the eighth inning — could have been handled better.
Castellanos said he "let the emotions get the best of me" in that moment, per CBSSports.com.
"I said I will learn from this," Castellanos said. "I let the emotions get the best of me in the moment. [Going forward] possibly if I see things that frustrate me or I don't believe are conducive to winning. [It's about ] not letting things just pile up over time so when I address it, it's less emotional."
That moment proved to be the beginning of the end for Castellanos in Philadelphia. While he spent the rest of the season with the team, it quickly found a replacement in the offseason, signing outfielder Adolis García.
With Castellanos out of a job, the Phillies looked for possible trade partners, but none materialized. Eventually, the team told the veteran outfielder to not report for spring training. Shortly after that, Castellanos was released by the Phillies. He quickly found another job with the Padres.
Castellanos, 33, will now look to rebuild his value after experiencing declining numbers in his final year in Philadelphia. He said he was glad to have another opportunity and was looking forward to competing with the Padres. When asked about his new club, Castellanos complimented the Padres while potentially taking one more shot at the Phillies on his way out, per ESPN.
"They don't cut corners as far as what they do to prepare and win. And also, what reputation they have on how they treat their players and how they have their backs. Even if something goes a little bit awry, they still stand with them and they don't deviate from their commitment to them as a person."
Castellanos will have to prove he's got something left in the tank after hitting just .250/.294/.400 last season. He registered a -0.8bWAR last season, the second time since 2022 he's finished the year with a negative WAR.
The Padres, however, aren't on the hook for much if he falters. The team will pay the veteran the minimum this season, with the Phillies still on the hook for paying Castellanos' $20 million salary.
Castellanos is expected to serve as the Padres' designated hitter, occasional outfielder and maybe mix in at first base, a position he's never played in the majors.
Given his Phillies' release and his depressed salary with the Padres, there will be pressure on Castellanos to get off to a strong start with his new club. If he can't produce in spring, Castellanos could quickly find himself back on the free-agent market before long, especially since the Padres have little financial incentive to keep him around if he struggles.