Craig Stammen Reveals One Thing Nick Castellanos Didn't Love About Padres Situation

From 2014 to 2025, Nick Castellanos was in the starting lineup for all but 29 of the 1,677 games he played for the Detroit Tigers, Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds and Philadelphia Phillies.

In 39 games with the San Diego Padres in 2026, Castellanos made eight trips to the plate as a pinch hitter — more than he had in the previous seven seasons combined. Castellanos went 0-for-8 with five strikeouts in those pinch hitting appearances.

If those numbers don't confirm that Castellanos was struggling to adjust to a new role in 2026, Padres manager Craig Stammen did so on Wednesday, after the 34-year-old veteran was designated for assignment.

Craig Stammen detailed the Padres' decision to designate Nick Castellanos for assignment, how the conversation went with Nick and what Samad Taylor brings to the team: pic.twitter.com/3bIyURtbMN
— 97.3 The Fan (@973TheFanSD) June 3, 2026

“I think that was definitely something that was tough for him," Stammen said of Castellanos' adjustment process. "It was tough for him to transition from playing every single day to playing two days, then two days off. ... It was a difficult transition for him, and something that he probably didn't really love in the end.”

Castellanos was an All-Star and a Silver Slugger award winner in 2023, when he hit 29 home runs for the Phillies. His numbers have declined steadily since then.

After Castellanos slashed .250/.294/.400 in 147 games last year, the Phillies released him with one year and $20 million remaining on his contract.

The Phillies have a deep, veteran roster and World Series ambitions. More than his raw stats, Castellanos' fit on a team with slugger Kyle Schwarber entrenched at designated hitter was questionable.

It probably didn't help that Castellanos brought beer into the dugout after being benched by then-manager Rob Thomson. Stammen apparently had no such issues with Castellanos off the field.

In theory, Castellanos was a better fit on the Padres' roster — if he could adapt to a part-time role. In the end, he simply couldn't justify even the major league minimum salary, slashing .191/.221/.339 in 115 at-bats.

“Nick's such a pro,” Stammen said. “I've really enjoyed having him here in San Diego. We had conversations with him when we signed him that he was going to earn his playing time, and it was probably going to be a different role for him. It wasn't going to be an everyday role that he was accustomed to for the last 12-15 years, his entire life playing baseball."

He added: “For him personally, I know he’s got a lot going on with his family and wanting to be around his kids a lot. Maybe this is an opportunity for that. But maybe an opportunity for him to go somewhere else and find a place where he could play every day.”

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