The Philadelphia Phillies granted outfielder Nick Castellanos a release on Thursday. The move had been a long time coming but wasn't official until just before spring training. The Phillies still owe Castellanos $20 million and will have to eat the entire amount on the 2026 payroll. Now, at just a league minimum salary of $780,000, any other MLB team is entitled to sign him immediately - and it turns out the Padres bit on Saturday morning.
Despite the way things ended in Philly, we knew there had to be at least one club out there willing to take a shot on a man getting compensated the same as a pre-arbitration-eligible player. It's as close to low risk as you can get. With all the different options, here are three options that would not hav sat nearly as well with Phillies fans.
There are certain places Nick Castellanos could have sounded that would’ve left Phillies fans annoyed
Castellanos could get under the skin of Phillies fans regardless of where he signs. The same antics won't be viewed the same way without him sporting the red pinstripes. Here are some teams that, if he signed with them, would feel even worse for Phillies fans.
No. 3: Los Angeles Angels
The Los Angeles Angels may not be the first name that comes to mind, but signing here would rightfully mean that Castellanos is in the twilight of his career and there's little of his value left to meaningfully redeem. If he ends up on the Angels for a fraction of his salary, it indicates that there was some sort of interest, and it could be just about the money. Castellanos has reportedly been working on playing first base, so he could slide in there just to fill in with some pop to his bat.
The Angels haven't made the playoffs since 2014, and there's no real expectation of that changing in 2026. Castellanos would fit the kind of purgatory going on in Anaheim, but it would annoy Philadelphia to see him playing for a franchise that truly doesn't care to win. It would only make his me-first attitude more glaring knowing that he was willing to sign somewhere without a future.
No. 2: New York Yankees
The New York Yankees have been stuck in an endless loop this past offseason. In a way, they faced criticism similar to the Phillies about possibly bringing back the same roster as the year prior. As an act of seeking outside help, they asked the Phillies about Castellanos in a possible trade scenario. The Yankees didn't inquire any further, but that door opened again this week.
It would've hurt to see him end up with the Yankees anyway on a fraction of whatever money was initially discussed. Thankfully, the Yankees may have pivoted permanently after re-signing first baseman Paul Goldschmidt.
No. 1: Miami Marlins
The big breaking point of Castellanos and his tenure in Philadelphia was the June 16 incident in which he brought a beer into the Phillies dugout after getting replaced defensively in the eighth inning of a close game. Castellanos' time in Philadelphia was inevitably coming to an end. The game was in Miami against the division rival Marlins.
According to Matt Gelb of The Athletic, before Castellanos signed with the Phillies, his preferred destination was the Marlins (subscription required).
“Castellanos’ preference, from the beginning of his free agency, was a long-term contract with the Miami Marlins,” Gelb stated. “It was home. It would allow him to see Liam, who mostly lives there with his mother, during the season.”
The Marlins were surely willing to take in Castellanos back then, but clearly couldn't compete against the depth of the Phillies' pockets. The Marlins had nothing standing in their way this offseason if they wanted to take a chance on the soon-to-be 34-year-old outfielder - well, except the Padres, apparently.
To hear that Castellanos never wanted to play in Philadelphia and much rather preferred playing for the Marlins, a lesser division threat, is mind-boggling to say the least.