The San Diego Padres designated outfielder Nick Castellanos for assignment on Wednesday, a day after he returned to Philadelphia with a video tribute in a 3-2 Phillies win over Tuesday night.
PHILADELPHIA — The Padres didn’t even wait for the echo of Tuesday night’s cheers to fade before they made their move.
On Wednesday. San Diego designated outfielder Nick Castellanos for assignment. one day after he received a video tribute during his return to Philadelphia. The tribute, shown before the game, highlighted some of his sliding catches from his time with the Phillies. Castellanos spent the night away from the lineup in the Phillies’ 3-2 win. but he tipped his cap toward cheering fans after the video concluded.
Castellanos’ path to San Diego started with a breakup in spring training. In February, the Phillies released him just ahead of their first full-squad workout at spring training. The decision landed even though the team still owed him $20 million for the final season of a $100 million, five-year contract.
San Diego took a chance anyway, spending only the league minimum—around $780,000—for Castellanos this season. But the return on that gamble never fully arrived. In limited action, he never regained the two-time All-Star form that once defined his profile. With the Padres, Castellanos hit .191 with a .560 OPS, four home runs and 20 RBIs across 39 games.
For the Phillies, the move looked clean on paper at first: they let him go despite owing him $20 million. For the Padres, the outcome came down to performance, and now the roster decision has followed. The designation puts Castellanos in a holding pattern just as his second stint is already circling toward its end.
Ahead of Wednesday’s game, the Padres selected the contract of infielder/outfielder Samad Taylor from Triple-A El Paso, signaling they’re ready to move forward with the next piece of the lineup puzzle.
The timing is the part that stands out. Castellanos came back to Philadelphia for a moment that was meant to reconnect him with a past chapter—then, within a day, the Padres shifted course. By Wednesday, the tribute had become part of his history, not his present.
Nick Castellanos San Diego Padres Philadelphia Phillies MLB designated for assignment Samad Taylor El Paso AP MLB
So they booed him in Philly or what? weird timing.
Dude got a tribute video and then they DFA him the next day?? That’s savage. Like the team basically said “thanks for nothing” right on camera.
I don’t get baseball contracts. If the Phillies owed him 20 million why would they release him at all? Seems like they did it just to look tough and then the Padres paid minimum and still got burned.
Maybe he stopped working with the coach or something. Those “sliding catches” videos always make players look better than the stats lol. Also .191 doesn’t sound good, so I guess it’s his fault? But the Padres waited a whole year though, seems like they knew already.