Nick Castellanos Reveals the 'Miami Incident' After Being Released

The Philadelphia Phillies officially cut ties with Nick Castellanos on Thursday, and the veteran didn’t just post a standard goodbye. 

He dropped a handwritten note that doubled as a thank you to the city and a full explanation of the long-whispered “Miami incident” from last season.

Nick Castellanos shared this on his IG page. His handwritten thoughts and feelings regarding his release from the Phillies, the last four years, and the Miami incident. Class act. Not many would share these personal details on social media so for that I respect it ✊🏻🙏🏻 pic.twitter.com/ZGrwbBkFUE

— Donovan Vogel (@Donnie_BROgel) February 12, 2026

Nick Castellanos explains the ‘Miami incident’

Castellanos wrote that after being pulled late in a close game in Miami, he brought a beer into the dugout but says he never drank it because teammates took it away before he could take a sip. 

He also admitted he crossed a line as a veteran, then sat beside manager Rob Thomson and vented about what he felt were mixed standards in the clubhouse. 

The Phillies have released OF Nick Castellanos.

— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) February 12, 2026

After the game, Castellanos says he met with Thomson and president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski, apologized, and wanted to explain everything publicly the next day, but was instructed not to.

Why it matters after the Phillies release

At the time, the only public detail was that Castellanos was benched for an “inappropriate comment,” which ended his long consecutive-starts streak and left the rest to speculation. 

Castellanos ends his four-year stint in Philadephia, holding a .260/.306/.426 triple-slash line, with 82 home runs, 326 RBIs, 28 stolen bases, and 287 runs scored across 602 games played.

Photo Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images