The Philadelphia Phillies released outfielder Nick Castellanos on Thursday in Clearwater, Florida, absorbing the full $20 million owed on the final year of his contract after failing to find a trade partner before full-squad workouts.
The club announced: “The Phillies have released OF Nick Castellanos.”
The release ends a split that had been building throughout the offseason. Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski had repeatedly stated that Castellanos would not be with the team in 2026. He also said that the organization was continuing to talk to clubs in an effort to make a deal before position players reported to camp Monday, though no trade materialized.
Dombrowski said Thursday, “I think that we all felt that was probably in the best interest, to have a change of scenery.”
Castellanos, 33, is entering his 14th major league season. The veteran right fielder slashed .250/.294/.400 in 2025 with 17 home runs and 72 RBIs, following consecutive 20-homer, 80-RBI seasons in 2023 and 2024.
The relationship fractured last season after a June game in Miami, his hometown. Castellanos was removed late for defensive reasons and later received a one-game suspension for what the team called “inappropriate remarks.”
Manager Rob Thomson described it at the time as “an inappropriate comment.”
Following his release, Castellanos posted a four-page handwritten letter on Instagram detailing his version of events.
In the letter, he acknowledged breaking a team rule.
“I then sat right next to Rob and let him know that too much slack in some areas and too tight of restrictions and others are not conducive to us winning,” Castellanos wrote. “Shoutout to my teammates and Howie [Kendrick] for taking the beer out of my hands before I could take a sip.”
He said he later met with Thomson and Dombrowski to address the situation.
“The conversation ended with me apologizing for letting my emotions get the best of me,” he wrote.
Castellanos also wrote that he was informed an article detailing the incident was going to be published “without his consent,” prompting him to share his account publicly.
In the letter, Castellanos thanked owner John Middleton, Dombrowski, the coaching staff and his teammates, writing, “Playing with you all will be a core memory for the rest of my life.”
He also addressed fans directly, saying, “applauding or booing, you were there.”
He described the city’s sports culture as having “sharp attention” and “powerful passion,” adding that it is not “married to the lens of media companies that cover them.”
The Phillies will absorb the full $20 million remaining on Castellanos’ contract, a costly move that caps a reshaped offseason. In recent weeks, Philadelphia committed $150 million to keep Kyle Schwarber through 2030 and added Adolis García on a one-year deal, installing him as the new right fielder.
The move was completed days before the Phillies’ first full-squad workout of spring training. Castellanos now becomes a free agent and can sign with any team for the league minimum.
