Breaking: Nick Castellanos Secures Free Agent Deal With NL West Team

It only took Nick Castellanos less than 48 hours to land on his feet after being released by the Philadelphia Phillies. It's been reported Saturday morning that the veteran outfielder has a deal in place with the San Diego Padres.

Source: The Padres are bringing in OF Nick Castellanos. He’ll be paid the minimum, with the Phillies absorbing the rest of his 2026 salary.

Castellanos has spent a lot of time this offseason working out at 1B and will probably see time there in San Diego.

First: @JonHeyman.
— Alden González (@Alden_Gonzalez) February 14, 2026

It'll be a minimum contract worth $780,000, with the Phillies picking up the balance of $19.22 million owed him for 2026.

According to Alden Gonzalez, the Padres will utilize Castellanos mainly at first base, where the outfielder has been taking ground balls during the offseason. His defense in the outfield has been much maligned in recent years, so this transition may be a fresh new opportunity for the 34-year-old.

The writing was on the wall in Philly for the veteran in the middle of last season, when he was benched after bringing a beer into the dugout after being pulled from a game. He's admitted his mistake in an apology letter to fans and teammates, and is ready to move on, joining a contending Padres team out West.

The Friars were immediately named as one of the favorites to land Castellanos after his release on Thursday.

He finished last season with 17 homers, 72 RBIs and a disappointing .694 OPS. But he carries a career .272 average and .785 OPS. He's topped the 20-homer mark six times.