Padres Cut Ties With Nick Castellanos Amid Series vs Phillies in Shocking Move

The San Diego Padres designated veteran outfielder Nick Castellanos for assignment, the team announced Wednesday.

The Padres selected the contract of infielder/outfielder Samad Taylor from Triple-A El Paso to take his spot.

We have designated 1B/OF Nick Castellanos for assignment and selected the contract of INF/OF Samad Taylor from Triple-A El Paso. Taylor will wear No. 0.
— San Diego Padres (@Padres) June 3, 2026

President of baseball operations A.J. Preller signed Castellanos to the league minimum salary after he was released by the Philadelphia Phillies in the offseason.

Just a few months into his tenure with San Diego, the Padres have cut ties with Castellanos after experimenting with the All-Star in the lineup.

Despite being a team over .500, it's evident the Padres need more offense and Castellanos wasn't the solution for more pop in the bottom of the lineup. The 34-year-old hit .191 with four home runs, 20 runs batted in and a .560 OPS across 39 games with the Padres.

He is still owed $20 million by the Phillies this season as he was released in the final season of a five-year, $100 million contract. Ironically, the departure of Castellanos comes in the middle of the Padres' road series against the Phillies.

Why Did Padres Cut Nick Castellanos?

As it turns out, the Padres' bargain of the offseason didn't pan out after all. The adjustment for Castellanos proved to be a very tough task, given his limited at-bats throughout the first few months of the season. While he spent the majority of the last four seasons as an everyday player in Philadelphia, his time with the Padres presented a new challenge.

Castellanos was one of many veteran signings by the Padres this offseason. Other additions such as Ty France and Miguel Andujar have proved to be necessities for San Diego.

The success of France and Andujar combined with Castellanos' ongoing struggles, likely gave the Padres reason to let go of the latter.

It should be a very busy trade deadline for the Padres, who have several needs to address this summer. While the Padres added Taylor to the roster, the front office will likely be ambitious in their pursuit of more talent.

The Padres won last year's trade deadline by acquiring the crown jewel of the relief market, Mason Miller. Preller was willing to part ways with the organization's top prospect, Leo De Vries, in order to land Miller.

The blockbuster trade was perhaps one of the most shocking deals in recent years and several insiders believe the Padres could very well repeat the pattern this summer.

The Padres have been linked to Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal, which would certainly cost a ton of prospect capital. MLB insider Buster Olney even called the Padres the "early favorites" to land the two-time Cy Young winner.

Preller is said to be fearless when it comes to gutting the farm system in order to improve the roster. The Padres' president of baseball operations is determined to cement a championship roster, as he seems to be each summer. San Diego's new ownership is set on winning and that would align with Preller's aggressive moves at the trade deadline.

Beyond the starting rotation, though, the Padres still have to address the lineup. Which players are on Preller's list of potential targets remains a mystery, but it wouldn't be a surprise if the front office adds another bat this summer to take over the role they hoped Castellanos would fill.

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