Nick Castellanos’ time in Philadelphia is officially over.
The Phillies on Thursday released Castellanos, 33, who had one year left on a five-year, $100 million contract signed in 2022.
Castellanos era ends with a lot of wins, but no World Series
The Castellanos era in Philadelphia ends after four mostly underwhelming seasons.
Castellanos signed a $100 million contract with the Phillies in March 2022, a week after the club signed Kyle Schwarber, who signed a five-year deal in December to remain in Philadelphia.
The two signings were a bat signal that Phillies managing partner John Middleton intended to win and was willing to spend money to do it.
After signing with the Phillies, Castellanos endeared himself to fans at his introductory press conference by stating that he joined the club over others because he wanted to win.
“I’ve played over 1,000 big league games and I have zero playoff wins,” Castellanos said in March 2022. “I’ve made money, I’ve hit homers, I’ve played on TV, but I haven’t won any games that matter. I would like to do that.”
Castellanos and the Phillies did just that during his four seasons in Philadelphia, making the playoffs each year and posting a 368-280 regular-season record.
The Phillies ended an 11-year postseason drought in Castellanos’ first season, catching fire to a World Series run that ended with heartbreak.
In 2023, the Phils made the postseason again, losing in seven games to the Diamondbacks in the NLCS. Castellanos was a major factor in the club’s NLDS win over the Braves, with a 1.267 slugging percentage in four games. He became the first player in AL/NL history to have consecutive multi-homer games in the postseason.
The Phils won back-to-back NL East titles in 2024 and 2025, but suffered early postseason exits. Ultimately, Castellanos and the Phils couldn’t capture a World Series title.
Looking back at a bumpy ride in Philadelphia
Castellanos’ production in Philadelphia was a bumpy ride, often with long stretches of cold streaks. He joined the team after hitting .304 with 34 homers and 100 RBIs with the Cincinnati Reds in 2021, but he never got close to that level with the Phillies.
He posted a .694 OPS in his first season, with 13 homers and 62 RBIs. He rebounded in 2023, making the All-Star team and posting a .788 OPS with 29 homers and 106 RBIs in 157 games. In 2024, he played all 162 games, but he still wasn’t the righty bat the team needed him to be (.742 OPS).
Last season, Castellanos finished hitting .250 with a .694 OPS. He saw his playing time decline after the Phillies acquired Harrison Bader from the Twins and went with platoons in left and right field. From June 1 until the end of the season, he hit .227 with a .662 OPS, 12 homers and 89 strikeouts.
Friction between Castellanos and manager Rob Thomson began to rise to the surface during the regular season. Thomson benched Castellanos for a game for an “inappropriate comment” the right fielder made after the manager pulled him for defensive purposes in a June game in Miami.
Late in the season in Arizona, Castellanos told reporters he doesn’t “really talk to Rob all that often,” criticizing what he claimed was “questionable” communication with his manager over the years.
A Castellanos-Phillies breakup was only a matter of time. The Phils have reportedly shopped the outfielder every offseason after 2022, but couldn’t move his contract.
Even with one year left, the club couldn’t find a taker.
“Sometimes a change of scenery can be beneficial for people,” Dombrowski told reporters at the GM meetings last month, via The Athletic.
What does the Phillies’ outfield look like now?
Castellanos’ fate was all but officially decided on Dec. 16, when the Phillies signed Adolis GarcÃa to a one-year, $10-million contract. As spring training gets underway with the first full-squad workout on Feb. 16, the Phillies’ outfield appears set.
GarcÃa will take over as the right fielder with Brandon Marsh platooning in left field and rookie Justin Crawford in center.
By all indications, Crawford will make the opening-day roster, though that could change with a bad spring training.
The Phillies don’t have a clear platoon partner for Marsh, but Dombrowski and club officials have praised Otto Kemp all offseason. Kemp will be in the mix to start against lefties in 2026.
Other players to watch in spring training include Pedro León, Johan Rojas, Bryan De La Cruz and Dylan Moore. De La Cruz and Moore both are on minor-league contracts and not on the 40-man roster, but have big-league experience, as does León.