Phillies release Castellanos with $20M left on contract

The Philadelphia Phillies released outfielder Nick Castellanos, the team announced Thursday.

Castellanos had $20 million remaining on the final year of the five-year, $100-million contract he signed with the Phillies ahead of the 2022 season.

The Phillies attempted to find a trade partner for Castellanos before the team reported for its first full-squad spring training workout.

Philadelphia benched Castellanos last season after he apparently directed an inappropriate comment toward Phillies manager Rob Thomson, who had removed him from a game for a defensive replacement.

Castellanos shared details of the incident in a goodbye letter to the Phillies and their fans on Thursday. He said the team disciplined him for bringing a beer into the dugout after Thomson took him out of the game.

The 33-year-old hit .250/.294/.400 with 17 home runs and 72 RBIs in 2025. He was an All-Star in 2023 when he posted a .788 OPS with 29 homers and 106 RBIs for the Phillies.