The San Diego Padres released outfielder Nick Castellanos on Wednesday, ending his brief stint with the team after a disappointing start to the season.
Castellanos joined the Padres in February on a one-year minimum salary contract following his release from the Philadelphia Phillies, who cut him before the final season of his five-year $100 million deal. This season with San Diego, the veteran posted a .191 batting average with four home runs, 20 RBIs and a .560 OPS across 39 games, striking out 34 times while drawing just five walks.
The timing of the release created an unusual situation, as Castellanos was back in Philadelphia when the Padres made their decision. Citizens Bank Park showed a video honoring Castellanos before Tuesday’s contest, though he remained on the bench for that game.
Castellanos’ departure from Philadelphia was partly attributed to his conduct, including multiple confrontations with manager Rob Thomson. In an unexpected turn, Philadelphia dismissed Thomson in late April.
To fill the roster spot, the Padres promoted infielder/outfielder Samad Taylor from their Triple-A affiliate in El Paso.
The 34-year-old Castellanos owns a .270 career batting average with 254 home runs and 940 RBIs across 1,727 games during his 14 seasons with the Detroit Tigers (2013-19), Chicago Cubs (2019), Cincinnati Reds (2020-21), Phillies (2022-25) and Padres.
Taylor, 27, will make his first appearance with the Padres. The utility player has compiled a .205 career average with four RBIs in 38 major league games split between the Kansas City Royals (2023) and Seattle Mariners (2024-25). At El Paso this year, he has posted a .319 average with seven homers and 25 RBIs through 51 games.
