The Padres and the outfielder Nick Castellanos have agreed to a Major League deal, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post (multiple links). Castellanos will earn $780K in the contract, which is the MLB minimum salary for the 2026 season. The Padres have an open spot on their 40-man roster, so no corresponding moves will be necessary once the deal is finalized and Castellanos passes his physical. Castellanos is represented by Mato Sports Management.
After signing Miguel Andujar in a one-year, $4MM deal a few days ago, San Diego has now added another veteran right-handed bat to its DH or bench roster. Castellanos will also be in the starting mix, according to Dennis Lin of The Athletic, which is notable since Castellanos has never played the position during his professional career. Given how Castellanos has struggled in the field as a third baseman and corner outfielder in his career, a move to first base seems overdue, even though Castellanos has been held at the position for most of his 13 MLB years.
Left batting Gavin Sheets ranked as the Padres’ top draft pick, so Castellanos makes sense as a teammate. Ramon Laureano figures to get more time in left field, so Andujar will be used primarily as a DH, providing Castellanos competition elsewhere. Castellanos’ old right field spot is being filled by Fernando Tatis Jr.so Castellanos probably won’t get much or any decent time unless Tatis gets hurt or gets a DH day.
Given the Padres’ stated need for hitting depth, they were seen as a possible acquisition of Castellanos during the Phillies’ winter trade efforts, and Lin reports that the two teams were in trade talks before Castellanos was released two days ago. It appears the Padres (and other teams) are willing to wait out the Phillies’ release of Castellanos rather than give up anything of value, as the Phils didn’t have much leverage given how open the front office has been for months about their desire to move away from Castellanos.
The Padres’ $780K commitment will be subtracted from the $20MM owed to Castellanos in 2026, leaving the Phillies on the hook for $19.22MM in the final season of a five-year, $100MM deal with the slugger signed through the 2021-22 season. That nine-figure investment translated into 0.8 fWAR and a 100 wRC+ average over four seasons and 2477 plate appearances, with Castellanos hitting .260/.306/.426 and 82 home runs in a Philadelphia uniform.
This poor offense was matched by the defense of right field, as Castellanos was confined to the outfield due to Kyle Schwarberyou were at DH, once Rhys Hoskins again Bryce Harper serving as first basemen. Castellanos’ lack of production on the field has led to tension on the field, as explained by Matt Gelb of The Athletic two days ago. Castellanos bristled at suggestions that he should change his swing or be removed from games for defensive purposes, and clashed with manager Rob Thomson and hit out at coach Kevin Long.
The low point came last June 16, when Castellanos was sent off due to a late game and Castellanos had to be prevented by his teammates from drinking beer in the dugout as a public protest against Thomson’s decision. Castellanos addressed the incident and apologized in a post on his Instagram page, but he will face more questions about his stay with the Phillies when he arrives at the Padres’ spring camp.
It remains to be seen if Castellanos can play first base at the passing level, or if he’ll be able to adjust to a part-time role after boasting an everyday regular throughout his career. The simple fact is that Castellanos has no choice but to make amends, as he now enters his age-34 season and looks to revive his career following his disappointing run in Philadelphia.
A rebounding performance will go a long way in reviving Castellanos’ value in future contracts following the 2026 campaign. He’ll get that chance at another NL contender in San Diego, and there’s something ironic about Castellanos joining a Padres team that has seen more than its share of clubhouse turmoil over the past few years. The revolving door in the manager’s office has contributed to the Padres’ problems behind the scenes, and new hire Craig Stammen will be San Diego’s fourth different captain since Opening Day 2020.
