Report: Padres add Castellanos after high-profile split with Phillies

The San Diego Padres and former All-Star outfielder Nick Castellanos agreed to a contract Saturday, a source told Jon Morosi of MLB Network.

Castellanos is expected to play first base for the Padres, per Dennis Lin of The Athletic, who adds the 13-year veteran will also see time in the outfield and as a designated hitter.

The 33-year-old will be paid the league minimum ($780,000) with the Padres, reports Jon Heyman of MLB Network.

The Philadelphia Phillies released Castellanos on Thursday with $20 million left on his contract. The club will be on the hook for $19.22 million of the player’s salary in 2026.

The Phillies benched Castellanos for a game last June because he brought a beer into the dugout after he was removed for a defensive replacement against the Miami Marlins.

Castellanos went deep 17 times with 72 RBIs and a .694 OPS in 142 games in 2025. He’s just one season removed from a 23-homer, 86-RBI campaign with a 104 wRC+ over a career-high 162 contests in 2024.

The Padres also made a few moves Saturday to add depth to the back of their rotation.

San Diego reached an agreement with right-hander Griffin Canning, sources told Robert Murray of FanSided. The club also brought in 2021 All-Star Germán Márquez on a one-year pact, reports Alden Gonzalez of ESPN, citing a source.

Canning authored a 3.77 ERA with 8.3 K/9 over 76 1/3 innings (16 starts) for the New York Mets last season before rupturing his Achilles tendon in late June. Márquez posted a 6.70 ERA with 5.9 K/9 in 126 1/3 innings (26 starts) in 2025 for the Colorado Rockies during a rough first year back after Tommy John surgery.

Márquez’s deal includes a mutual option to push some of the guaranteed money into a buyout, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.

The 30-year-old spent the first 10 years of his career with the Rockies.

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