PHILADELPHIA, PA — The Philadelphia Phillies’ tenure with Nicholas Castellanos has officially come to an end.
The club announced Thursday that it has released the veteran outfielder following a disappointing 2025 campaign.
Castellanos, 32, was entering the final year of his five-year, $100 million contract and is still owed $20 million for the 2026 season. He finished 2025 with a .250/.294/.400 slash line and 17 home runs.
Beyond the offensive regression, his defensive metrics have been a more persistent concern. Since 2016, Castellanos ranks last among qualified outfielders in Outs Above Average (-12) and Defensive Runs Saved (-90), the lowest total in MLB over that span.
Following the announcement of his release, Castellanos shed new light on one of the more talked-about moments from his 2025 season.
Last June in Miami, Castellanos was unexpectedly benched by manager Rob Thomson after what Thomson described at the time as an “inappropriate comment” made in the dugout. The decision drew attention, particularly because it snapped Castellanos’ 236-game starting streak. However, the specifics of the incident were not publicly known.
After his release became official, Castellanos addressed the situation in a post on social media, revealing what had occurred.
“As a veteran of the game of baseball, there are rules, and I broke one in Miami. After being taken out of a close ball game in front of my friends and family, I brought a presedente [sic] into the dugout. I then sat right next to Rob and let him know that too much slack in some areas and too tight of restrictions in others are not conducive to us winning. Shoutout to my teammates and Howie [Kendrick, assistant GM, who was in the dugout] for taking the beer out of my hands before I could take a sip. (I appreciate you guys).”
Dave Dombrowski, President of Baseball Operations, acknowledged during the offseason that a split could benefit both sides.
“Sometimes a change of scenery can be beneficial for people,” Dombrowski said of Castellanos.
By mid-December, when Philadelphia signed Adolis García, it was already clear that Castellanos was unlikely to return.
Phillies pitchers and catchers reported to Clearwater, Florida on Wednesday to begin Spring Training, marking the start of preparations for the 2026 season.
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