The fallout from the Philadelphia Phillies' release of Nick Castellanos on Thursday continues. The organization was unable to find another team interested in trading for him this offseason following a tumultuous 2025 season with the outfielder. Details have come to light that show the pairing was unlikely to work out from the start.
Phillies insider Matt Gelb wrote a piece for The Athletic detailing the specific incidents (subscription required) that led to Castellanos' release. It's understandable from the team's standpoint why they needed to move on from him this winter.
Nick Castellanos didn't seem to want to come to Philadelphia but couldn't resist the Phillies' offer
According to Gelb, Castellanos was hesitant to agree to the five-year, $100 million contract offer that Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski offered the right fielder.
Gelb notes how Castellanos asked his agent to find another team that would be willing to make the same offer before he eventually agreed to sign with the Phillies before the start of the 2022 regular season. That doesn't sound like someone who wanted to come to Philadelphia.
"No other team was willing to meet the offer Dombrowski made," according to Gelb. "In the hours before Castellanos agreed to the deal, league sources said, he implored his agency to find another club that would offer the same terms. But Philadelphia was his best chance to make generational money and play for a winner."
Per @MattGelb’s article below and various sources around the team, Castellanos never seemed content in Philadelphia - even before the dugout incident - he would openly talk about his desire to play elsewhere with teammates. I’m also told teammates were not happy with the way the… pic.twitter.com/PbDyvFr3Rg
— Devan Kaney (@Devan_Kaney) February 12, 2026
As Gelb also reported, Castellanos would speak with his Phillies teammates about his desire to play elsewhere. His teammates weren't pleased with how the organization handled the dugout situation in Miami last June and thought there should've been more discipline.
"From the moment he came to Philadelphia in March 2022, Castellanos detected what he perceived as disrespect towards him. He was a star player who joined a roster filled with bigger stars, a challenging dynamic."
Castellanos had the best season of his career in a contract year back in 2021 with the Cincinnati Reds, which influenced the Phillies' contract offer for him. He slashed .309/.362/.576 with a .938 OPS, 34 home runs, and 100 RBIs in 138 games. The 33-year-old didn't get off to a good start in his first year with Philadelphia. He finished with only 13 home runs and 62 RBIs while slashing .263/.305/.389 and an OPS of .694 in 136 contests.
Castellanos managed only one solid season with the Phillies, which was disappointing considering his contract. He totaled 29 home runs and 106 RBIs and slashed .272/.311/.476 with a .787 OPS in 157 games back in 2023.
In hindsight, it makes sense why Castellanos' time in Philadelphia was underwhelming since the franchise wasn't high on his list of teams to sign with. He was unprofessional on several occasions during his four seasons here. The fans and the club can now work on putting the fiasco behind them following his release.