Nick Castellanos Released by Phillies: Why the Royals-and Others-Might Think Twice
As teams across the league put the finishing touches on their offseason rosters, the Philadelphia Phillies made one of the more surprising moves of the winter: they released veteran outfielder Nick Castellanos, eating the final year of his $20 million salary in the process.
This wasn’t a move that came completely out of nowhere. Phillies GM Preston Mattingly had hinted earlier this offseason that the club was considering a “change of scenery” for Castellanos. That change came not via trade, but with an outright release-an unceremonious end to a rocky tenure in Philadelphia.
The writing had been on the wall for some time. Castellanos, a two-time All-Star, saw his role diminish over the past season, and tension between player and team had been simmering.
One flashpoint came in June, when he was benched during a game against the Marlins and appeared visibly frustrated. But the situation escalated even further with a bizarre midseason incident that’s only now come to light.
According to reports, Castellanos brought a beer into the dugout during a game-a moment that understandably raised eyebrows within the organization. The situation reportedly boiled over when Castellanos, beer in hand, confronted manager Rob Thomson about being pulled from the game.
Phillies special assistant Howie Kendrick is said to have quickly intervened, removing the drink from the scene. Castellanos later addressed the incident in a letter following his release, describing conversations with Thomson and team president Dave Dombrowski that ended with mutual apologies.
Still, the optics of the incident were damaging.
Now that Castellanos is a free agent, the question becomes: who takes a chance on him? On paper, the offensive production is still serviceable.
He posted a 90 wRC+ last season and drove in 72 runs-not elite, but far from unplayable. However, the concerns go deeper than the stat sheet.
Take the Kansas City Royals, for example. They’ve been linked to veteran bats in the past, and on the surface, Castellanos might seem like a fit for a club looking to add some pop.
But Kansas City has shown a clear preference for players who bring more than just numbers-they value leadership, professionalism, and versatility. When they brought back Adam Frazier at the trade deadline last year, one of the key reasons was his strong clubhouse presence.
That kind of intangible matters for a team with a young core still learning how to win.
Castellanos, meanwhile, is more of a bat-only option at this point in his career. His outfield defense has regressed, and he’s likely limited to a designated hitter role on most rosters. That lack of flexibility is a tough sell for a Royals team that’s leaned into versatility as a roster-building philosophy.
To be clear, one incident doesn’t define a player’s entire character. Castellanos has had a long and productive career, and there’s still a chance he finds a home in a veteran-heavy clubhouse that can absorb the risk and help him reset. But for a team like Kansas City, where culture and cohesion are part of the rebuild blueprint, this might be a gamble not worth taking.
An All-Star-caliber bat suddenly hitting the open market is always going to draw interest. But as more context emerges, it’s clear that any team considering Castellanos will have to weigh more than just his RBI totals.
This is about fit, accountability, and how a player complements-not complicates-a clubhouse dynamic. And right now, the fit just doesn’t look right for the Royals.