The Padres and outfielder Nick Castellanos have agreed to a Main League deal, based on Jon Heyman of the New York Put up (a number of hyperlinks). Castellanos will earn $780K on the contract, which is the MLB minimal wage for the 2026 season. The Padres have an open spot on their 40-man roster, so no corresponding transfer can be required as soon as the deal is finalized by Castellanos passing a bodily. Castellanos is represented by Mato Sports activities Administration.
After signing Miguel Andujar to a one-year, $4MM assure just a few days in the past, San Diego has now added one other veteran right-handed bat to its record of DH or bench candidates. Castellanos will even be within the first base combine, as per The Athletic’s Dennis Lin, which is noteworthy since Castellanos has by no means performed the place throughout his professional profession. Given how Castellanos has struggled badly within the area as a 3rd baseman and nook outfielder over his profession, a transfer to first base is seemingly lengthy overdue, although Castellanos has been blocked on the place all through just about everything of his 13-year MLB tenure.
The left-handed hitting Gavin Sheets is lined up because the Padres’ best choice at first base, so Castellanos is smart as a platoon companion. Ramon Laureano figures to get more often than not in left area, so Andujar can be used primarily as a DH, offering competitors for Castellanos at one other spot. Castellanos’ outdated place of proper area is stuffed by Fernando Tatis Jr., so Castellanos in all probability received’t be getting a lot or any time in proper except Tatis is damage or is getting a DH day.
Given the Padres’ acknowledged want for hitting depth, they have been seen as a possible candidate to amass Castellanos through the Phillies’ winter-long makes an attempt to discover a commerce companion, and Lin reviews that the 2 groups did certainly have some commerce talks earlier than Castellanos was launched two days in the past. It might look like the Padres (and different groups) have been keen to simply wait the Phillies out on a Castellanos launch relatively than quit something in worth, because the Phils didn’t precisely have a lot leverage given how open the entrance workplace has been for months about their want to maneuver on from Castellanos.
The Padres’ $780K dedication can be subtracted from the $20MM owed to Castellanos in 2026, leaving the Phillies on the hook for $19.22MM within the last season of the five-year, $100MM deal the slugger signed through the 2021-22 offseason. That nine-figure funding translated to 0.8 fWAR and a superbly common 100 wRC+ over 4 seasons and 2477 plate appearances, with Castellanos hitting .260/.306/.426 and 82 house runs in a Philadelphia uniform.
This so-so offense was paired with very subpar proper area protection, as Castellanos was locked into an outfield place resulting from Kyle Schwarber’s presence at DH, and Rhys Hoskins and Bryce Harper performing because the beginning first basemen. Castellanos’ lack of manufacturing on the sector led to some stress off the sector, as detailed by The Athletic’s Matt Gelb two days in the past. Castellanos bristled at solutions that he ought to alter his swing or be faraway from video games for defensive functions, and he clashed with supervisor Rob Thomson and hitting coach Kevin Lengthy.
The low level got here final June 16, when Castellanos was eliminated for a late-game sub and Castellanos needed to be prevented by teammates from consuming a beer within the dugout as a public protest of Thomson’s resolution. Castellanos addressed this incident and apologized in a submit on his Instagram web page, however he’ll certainly face loads of questions on his controversial Phillies stint when he arrives on the Padres’ spring camp.
It stays to be seen if Castellanos can play first base at a satisfactory degree, or if he’ll have the ability to regulate to extra of a part-time position after taking such delight in being an on a regular basis common all through his profession. The easy truth is that Castellanos has no alternative however to regulate, as he’s now getting into his age-34 season and is trying to revive his profession following his disappointing run in Philadelphia.
A bounce-back efficiency would go a great distance in the direction of reviving Castellanos’ worth for future contracts following the 2026 marketing campaign. He’ll get that probability on one other NL contender in San Diego, and there’s some irony within the truth Castellanos is becoming a member of a Padres workforce that has seen greater than its share of clubhouse tumult over the previous few years. A revolving door within the supervisor’s workplace has contributed to the Padres’ points behind the scenes, and new rent Craig Stammen can be San Diego’s fourth completely different skipper since Opening Day 2020.
