PEORIA, Ariz. — Days after a high-profile split with the Philadelphia Phillies, veteran outfielder Nick Castellanos is closing in on a free-agent deal with the San Diego Padres, league sources told The Athletic Saturday.
Castellanos, who turns 34 next month, is expected to see time at first base, outfield and designated hitter with the Padres, the sources said. He has never played first base in his professional career, though he trained there this offseason in preparation for a long-anticipated exit.
Castellanos was released Thursday by the Phillies, who had attempted for months to move the one year and $20 million left on his contract. San Diego was among the teams that engaged in recent trade talks with Philadelphia about a potential salary dump, league sources said. Now, the Padres will owe Castellanos only the $780,000 major-league minimum.
The Phillies were willing to cover the rest for a player they no longer employ. It was four years ago that Castellanos parlayed his first All-Star season, with the Cincinnati Reds, into a $100 million deal. Since then, Castellanos has played in the 2023 All-Star Game, produced league-average offense, and struggled in right field as his relationships with some coaches and teammates deteriorated.
Thursday, in response to reporting by The Athletic’s Matt Gelb that had not yet been published, Castellanos offered details about the night he brought a beer into the Phillies dugout during a game last June against the Miami Marlins. He said he apologized that night, adding that team management instructed him not to discuss the incident with reporters the next day.
Club sources told Gelb that the incident was a microcosm of a rift between Castellanos and the Phillies that grew after he became a platoon player.
The Padres perhaps are willing to deploy Castellanos in a similar role because their budget is limited and their offense needs power. Castellanos, a former third baseman who has compiled 250 career home runs, could primarily share first base with the left-handed-hitting Gavin Sheets.