CLEARWATER, Fla. – The Phillies on Thursday released outfielder Nick Castellanos.
The end was inevitable, but the Phillies wanted to see if they could find anybody to pay even a fraction of the $20 million that Castellanos is owed in 2026. They could not. So, with the Phillies holding their first full-squad workout on Thursday, they cut him loose.
Castellanos batted .250 with 17 home runs, 72 RBIs and a .694 OPS last season. But an act of gross insubordination in June in Miami and a general lack of performance in the second half forced him into a platoon role. The Phillies had tried to trade Castellanos each of the previous two offseasons, but they found no takers. Castellanos’ 2025 performance, on and off the field, guaranteed he would not return.