Kyle Schwarber, Rob Thomson react to Nick Castellanos release: ‘It is what it is’
CLEARWATER, Fla. — Kyle Schwarber smiled as he recalled his stressful journey to Atlanta in early January to watch his Indiana Hoosiers play in the Peach Bowl. He was invited to join the team for the coin toss as an honorary captain. As his flight the day of the game out of Dayton, Ohio was delayed due to mechanical issues, Schwarber opened Google Maps. He turned to his brother-and-law and said, “If we leave right now, we can make it.” They can make the eight hour drive with 40 minutes to spare — if they’re lucky.
The pair hopped into a rental car, made it an hour to Cincinnati before receiving a tip from Phillies travel manager Jameson Hall: Delta is switching out the plane. The flight is back on.
Schwarber returned his rental car, boarded the airplane in Dayton and made it to Mercedes-Benz Stadium in time for the coin toss.
“I’m like, ‘This is f****** cool,'” Schwarber said. “And then I’m like, ‘What do I even say to these guys?'”
He was his relaxed, jovial self as he told the story of his unforgettable day. Things were a little more tense a few minutes earlier when Nick Castellanos’ name came up in a conversation with reporters.
“I mean, I saw (the letter), it is what it is,” Schwarber said. “I think the biggest thing is that we all wish him the best, right? We’ve had a lot of really good memories here over the last four years. He’s had some really big moments with us and we wish him the best moving forward. It is what it is, but hopefully wherever he goes next, he’s able to keep going out there, keep doing his thing and keep having those big moments.”
Castellanos was released by the Phillies on Thursday. Schwarber and Castellanos were both signed to big deals in 2022 to boost the lineup. The Phillies that year were expected to sign one big outfield bat among a free agent class that also included Kris Bryant, Michael Conforto and Seiya Suzuki. Schwarber was signed first shortly after the lockout. The Castellanos deal was a bigger surprise. It pushed the Phillies over the luxury tax for the first time in franchise history.
One deal turned out to be one of the best signings in franchise history, leading to another five-year partnership. The other deal ended in a messy breakup.
In a letter posted to social media, Castellanos revealed that he was benched in Miami in June for bringing a beer into the dugout and confronting manager Rob Thomson on his decision to pull the outfielder from the game for a defensive replacement.
“After being taken out of a close ball game in front of my friends and family I brought a Presidente into the dugout,” Castellanos wrote in the letter. “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.”
Thomson, when asked about his response to the letter, appreciated Castellanos for “owning up” to what he did.
The Phillies manager added in some self-deprecating humor when discussing Castellanos’ release.
“Hey, we all make mistakes,” Thomson said. “Mine are well documented. But, you know, Nick helped us out in a lot of ways here. He had some big hits and big plays and helped us win a lot of ballgames. I wish him all the best.”
Schwarber was asked if the Castellanos drama was a distraction in the clubhouse. He deflected, focusing on the way last season ended.
“I mean, it’s (neither) here nor there,” he said. “I mean, we did what we did, right? I felt like, in the (NLDS), we played good games, right? There were just things that we didn’t execute. We didn’t walk away with wins at the end of the day. It’s hard to say here nor there. We put ourselves in the position where we wanted to be. We just got knocked out. Can’t really say.”
Camp Notes
- Bryce Harper will likely report to camp on Sunday, Thomson said. Alec Bohm reported on Friday. Key position players currently in camp include Schwarber, Bohm, J.T. Realmuto, Bryson Stott, Brandon Marsh, Edmundo Sosa, Justin Crawford and Aidan Miller. Harper and Schwarber are scheduled to leave camp for the WBC on March 1.
- Jesús Luzardo, Cristopher Sánchez, Aaron Nola and Andrew Painter threw up-and-down bullpen sessions. Brad Keller and Kyle Backhus were among the relievers who also threw today. “I hate sounding like Peter Positive all the time, but we had a really good day today on the mound,” Thomson said. “Painter was really good. Luzardo, Nola, Sánchez and Keller. Some of the new guys, Backhus and (Chase) Shugart. Just a really good day. They’re filling (the strike zone) up, ball is coming out good, shapes are good. I’m excited.”
- Right-hander Jonathan Bowlan, who was acquired this past offseason in the Matt Strahm trade, also threw an up-and-down bullpen session. He is expected to be stretched out as a multi-inning reliever.
- Shugart, acquired in a trade with the Pirates on January 13, is wearing No. 55, last worn by Ranger Suárez.