![\"Nick](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/SUT-L-SpringTraining-Day6-006.jpg\")
Nick Castellanos of the San Diego Padres looks on during spring training workouts at the Peoria Sports Complex on Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026 in Peoria, Ariz.(Meg McLaughlin \/ The San Diego Union-Tribune)<\/p>\nPEORIA, Ariz. \u2014 Nick Castellanos was on the infield dirt on Field No. 1 at the Peoria Sports Complex before 8 a.m. Sunday morning, working on some of the finer points of first base \u2014 a position he has never played in a major league game.<\/p>\n
At midday, he stood in front of a brown and gold backdrop and talked about how he is willing to do anything to help the Padres win.<\/p>\n
\u201cI mean, they\u2019re giving me an opportunity,\u201d he said. \u201cThat\u2019s all I can ask for \u2014 to be able to come here, be myself, work hard, make the club, earn my playing time and just help, really, in any way that I can. \u2026 It\u2019s a new start. It\u2019s a new vibe. There\u2019s new energy here. I\u2019m excited to see how I can fit into whatever role they need me to be.\u201d<\/p>\n
The veteran of 13 major league seasons and two-time All-Star agreed to a one-year contract with the Padres on Saturday, two days after he was released by the Philadelphia Phillies.<\/p>\n
The divorce, which came with one year and $20 million remaining on a five-year deal agreed to in 2022, had been telegraphed for months and ended with reports that Castellanos had conflicts with coaches, manager Rob Thomson and some teammates.<\/p>\n
The Padres were among the teams that engaged with the Phillies over the winter about the 33-year-old Castellanos, who has 250 career home runs but hit just .250 with a .694 OPS last season. However, those talks had little chance of resulting in a swap. No matter how much of Castellanos\u2019 salary the Phillies took on in a trade, there was no beating the major league minimum of $780,000 the Padres will pay Castellanos this season. (The Phillies are on the hook for the balance of his contract.)<\/p>\n
There were reports that Castellanos made it clear he did not want to return to Philadelphia in a reduced role. But he decided to sign with the Padres after a Zoom call with manager Craig Stammen, president of baseball operations A.J. Preller and assistant general manager Josh Stein in which they laid out for him that he would be asked to play multiple positions and could be involved in a platoon situation at first base and designated hitter.<\/p>\n
Nick Castellanos of the San Diego Padres looks on during spring training workouts at the Peoria Sports Complex on Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026 in Peoria, Ariz.(Meg McLaughlin \/ The San Diego Union-Tribune)<\/p>\n
\u201cThat was part of the signing process and us figuring out if we wanted to bring Nick on is what he was open to and what he wanted out of his next situation,\u201d Stammen said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe want him to play as much as possible and we want him to get as hot as heck and him force us to put him in the lineup. That\u2019s the ultimate goal. We want to set him up for a good situation for that to happen. But he also knows he\u2019s in a different part of his career and he may be asked to be a platoon player, be able to come off the bench. But he also knows he wants to earn every at-bat. And he\u2019s got that little twinkle in his eye that says, \u2018Don\u2019t worry, I\u2019m gonna earn it.\u2019 So that\u2019s good.\u201d<\/p>\n
Castellanos explained his comfort signing with the Padres by alluding to \u201cthe 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\u2019t deviate from their commitment to them as a person. So all those things came into account. I\u2019m happy to be wearing brown.\u201d<\/p>\n
Castellano has long been known for being passionate, outspoken and straightforward, even to the point of being caustic. He wrote in a social media post the day he was released that he had mishandled some situations and would learn from his experience.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I said I will learn from this, I guess, just letting my emotions get the best of me in a moment,\u201d Castellanos said Sunday. \u201cPossibly, if I see things that frustrate me or I don\u2019t believe are conducive to winning, to speaking up when I see it, instead of letting things just pile up over time and pile up over time and then, you know, finally, when I address it, it\u2019s less emotional.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"Nick](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/SUT-L-SpringTraining-Day6-001.jpg\")
Nick Castellanos of the San Diego Padres runs the bases during spring training workouts at the Peoria Sports Complex on Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026 in Peoria, Ariz.(Meg McLaughlin \/ The San Diego Union-Tribune)<\/p>\n
There were reports, too, that Castellanos\u2019 respect for Thomson was diminished because he did not play in the majors. While he did not address those contentions, Castellanos spoke glowingly of Stammen.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s very passionate as far as how much he cares, not only about the team, but about the individuals,\u201d Castellanos said. \u201cSeems like a family man, which I can relate to that, seeing as I have a family of my own. And he\u2019s a player. Like, he\u2019s done it. He\u2019s put on spikes, he\u2019s grinded, he\u2019s felt the feeling of success, and he\u2019s also felt the feeling when the game doesn\u2019t go your way. So there\u2019s a lot of respect in that. And you know, I\u2019m excited to do whatever he needs me to do.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Padres\u2019 brass asked Castellanos about clubhouse issues and a report that he took a beer in the dugout and had a heated exchange with Thomson after being pulled from a game last season.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s the best thing \u2014 to talk to somebody directly,\u201d Preller said. \u201c\u2026 I make many mistakes in this job, but ultimately, when people own up to those mistakes, and he did that in our call, it\u2019s about giving guys another opportunity. He gets a fresh start here and a fresh opportunity.\u201d<\/p>\n