Phillies release Nick Castellanos

Nick Castellanos’ time with the Phillies is officially over. The outfielder was released by the team.

This comes as no surprise as Castellanos, 33, was not expected to return to the Phillies for the final season of his five-year, $100 million contract. The signing of right fielder Adolis Garcia to a one-year, $10 million deal in December solidified that. The Phillies tried to find a trade partner for Castellanos, but there were no suitors. 

The Phillies signed Castellanos at the end of March in 2022, pushing the team over the luxury tax threshold for the first time in franchise history. He was signed to DH and play some left field, with Kyle Schwarber on board and Bryce Harper still in right. Harper’s UCL injury in April 2022 directly led to Castellanos spending most of his tenure in Philadelphia as a right fielder. 

There were highs and lows during the Castellanos era. He struggled for much of the 2022 season, leading to some early tension between him, fans and reporters. He was an All-Star in 2023 and hit four home runs in that year’s National League Division Series win over the Braves. In 2024, Castellanos rebounded after a tough April and was one of the team’s better hitters in a loss against the Mets in the NLDS. 

But things took a turn for the worse in 2025. Castellanos struggled at the plate in the second half. The Phillies relegated him to a platoon role by the beginning of September. Even before the team decided to cut back on his playing time, there was a sense around the team that the relationship ran its course. Castellanos was benched in June after making an “inappropriate comment” towards manager Rob Thomson. Castellanos later publicly criticized Thomson in September for “questionable communication” after the outfielder recorded his 250th home run. 

It’s fair to say that the Castellanos deal didn’t work out. The Phillies signed Castellanos to hit in the middle of the order and produce as a gap-to-gap right-handed hitting power bat. He produced only two offensive seasons with an OPS above .700. The front office thought his personality would make him a great fit for Philadelphia.

Now, the Phillies are paying him to play elsewhere. 

Castellanos will likely sign with another team for the league minimum ($780,000). The Phillies are responsible for the $20 million remaining on his contract, minus what his other team is paying him on the prorated league minimum salary. It’s in the Phillies’ best interest to see Castellanos stick with another major league team for the entire season.