The Nick Castellanos era with the Phillies has officially come to an end.

The Phillies announced Thursday that they’ve released the outfielder following a difficult 2025 season.

Castellanos, 32, is entering the final year of his five-year, $100 million contract and is owed $20 million in 2026. A trade remains possible, but the financial commitment makes it difficult. Castellanos finished 2025 with a .250/.294/.400 slash line, 17 home runs, and a -1.0 WAR.

Defensively, he’s been a liability. Since 2016, he ranks last among qualified outfielders in Outs Above Average (-12) and Defensive Runs Saved (-90), the worst total in baseball over that span.

Clubhouse tension also became part of the story. Castellanos was benched for one game in June after an exchange with manager Rob Thomson following a late defensive substitution, snapping a streak of 236 consecutive starts. Communication issues resurfaced later in the season, and frustration carried into October.

Watch Nick Castellanos’ full postgame availability where he opens about his relationship with Rob Thomson, his future with the Phillies and much more.

With younger outfield options emerging, including Justin Crawford and Gabriel Rincones Jr., the Phillies are ready to turn the page.

Castellanos delivered key postseason moments, most notably during the 2023 NLCS. But after four playoff runs without a title, the Phillies’ calculus has changed, and so has his place on the roster.

Castellanos took to social media following the news with a hand written note. Below is a transcription:

Philadelphia

John, thank you for what you have provided my family with.

Dave, thank you for the opportunity.

Staff, thank you for helping me prepare.

PACO!! 414 is just as much yours as it is mine. You are the man in any room you walk into.

My teammates, I love you guys. Te Quiero Mucho!! Playing with you all will be a core memory for the rest of my life.

To the people of the city, thank you for showing up these past 4 years. Applauding or booing you were there. Remember!! the sharp attention and powerful passion you have for your sports teams are not married to the lens of Media Companies that cover them. the Color of your Collective Soul is your own to Paint… together.

Above all thank you for embracing Liam the way you did. For that I can never repay.

To all who are reading I wish you strong health & Peace of mind.

Nicholas

Miami Incident

OK, apparently I need to address the Miami Incident. As one of my friends on the team has informed me, there is an article waiting to come out without my consent or comments about this situation. So I’m going to just share myself.

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 presidente 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 for taking the beer out of my hands before I could take a sip. (I appreciate you guys).

After the game, I went into the office with Dave & Rob. We aired out our differences and the conversation ended with me apologizing for letting my emotions get the best of me. I would like to note, that I was ready to share the details of the incident in its entirety to the media the next day but was instructed not to by management. The punishment I received for my actions was the benching the following game.

I love this game, I love being a teammate and I am addicted to winning. I will learn from this.