Nick Castellanos Released by the Phillies, Writes Note to the Fans
Mar 31, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Nick Castellanos (8) against the Colorado Rockies at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images
This afternoon, the Philadelphia Phillies pulled the trigger on a move they had been planning on doing for the offseason. Getting rid of outfielder Nick Castellanos was atop their priorities, per Dave Dombrowski. When it was also stated that he would be gone by Opening Day, it was only a matter of time before Castellanos would officially be on his way.
The Phillies front office, however, did not trade or release him early in the offseason; rather added drama and controversial statements leading to the dismissal. Though it could have been predicted that Castellanos would not have been in a Phillies uniform to start next year, the team’s president of baseball operations, Dombrowski, openly stated that Castellanos would not be a Phillie, even while he was still contracted to be a Phillie.
On top of that, it had been recently reported that the Phillies did not have a locker for Castellanos, as the team told him not to report to Spring Training. The Phillies had had the replacement in Adolis Garcia waiting on deck for when Castellanos would be gone.
Sure, anyone can tell you that it was a struggle at times while watching Castellanos at the plate or in the field, as he struck out 133 times last year with a batting average of .250, but many still believe the way the situation was handled by the front office was embarrassing and unprofessional.
At 33 years old, Castellanos had played four seasons with the Phillies, making the National League All-Star team in 2023. There were a lot of complaints, such as his inability to hold off on a ball low and away, or his attitude that painted him as ignorant and entitled at times, but that doesn’t shadow the fact that he did a lot for this franchise, love him or hate him.
During the 2024 postseason, where the Phillies would get knocked out by the New York Mets in the NLDS, it was Castellanos who potentially saved them from a possible sweep. In that series, Castellanos hit .412, which is impressive, but his moment was game two, where Nick would not only tie the game with a solo home run, going back to back with Bryce Harper, but would walk off the game in the ninth in a tie game at six runs all.
It was that same game where Castellanos would get booed by his own fans, right before he brought the Phillies back. Philadelphia may not have been the best spot for Nick to succeed. Still, he gave fans many exciting moments when he wore the jersey, no matter how uncertain the relationship and future were between Castellanos and the Phillies.
He handwrote this note on his Instagram:
Through this, Castellanos was able to tell us a lot about what he truly feels, instead of the body language he displayed on the field. He even explained the incident that had taken place in Miami over the summer, when it had been a mystery why he was benched.
In a close game against the Miami Marlins, manager Rob Thomson had pulled Castellanos from the game and had benched him the next day. In the letter, we learn that Nick had brought a beer into the dugout and sat next to Thomson, letting his emotions, at the time, out to him.
“Sat right next to Rob [Thomson] and let him know that too much slack in some areas and too tight of restrictions in others are not conducive to us winning,” Castellanos wrote.
Castellanos gives credit to the team for taking the beer out of his hands, and claims that he, Thomson, and Dombrowski were able to sit down and sort out the differences in a healthy manner. Castellanos ended the meeting with an apology and claimed he learned from the incident.
Though there was a lot of emotion poured out, it was the end of the note that meant the most. With the release of Castellanos, we also lose Liam, Nick’s son. Liam, who had been a loveable presence behind home plate, was always appreciated, and created the most wholesome moments between father and son, which is what makes the end of the letter emotional.
“Above all thank you for embracing Liam the way you did,” Castellanos wrote. “For that I can never repay.”
Luke Raidy
Luke has covering the the Flyers and Phillies for Philly Sports Reports since 2025. He is a junior at North Penn and being a huge Philly sports fan has brought so many experiences, such as going to the NLDS, NLCS, and even the World Series in 2022. He has also met former superstars in the city of Philadelphia, such as Wayne Simmonds from the Flyers. Though being a student-athlete, Luke enjoys his time where he is writing and reporting on Philadelphia sports.
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