Padres Manager Sent Message to Nick Castellanos About His Roster Spot Amid Struggles

When the San Diego Padres signed veteran outfielder Nick Castellanos this offseason, the move was met with some optimism, especially considering the price that the team landed him at.

After being released by the Philadelphia Phillies, Castellanos joined San Diego on a veteran's minimum deal, giving them a former All-Star for cheap.

However, the first part of his Padres tenure hasn't gone to plan, with the veteran struggling to acclimate to his reduced role. San Diego has mainly used him as a platoon player this year, not granting him consistent playing time.

This has taken a toll on Castellanos, and he has even said that it's been a difficult adjustment. But the veteran has stayed ready for whenever his name is called, and he came up massive for the Padres , hitting a game-tying two-run home run in the bottom of the ninth inning against the St. Louis Cardinals.

This home run helped set up a win for the Padres, and it was a huge relief for the veteran. After the game, manager Craig Stammen revealed that he had been talking to Castellanos about his role with the team amid his struggles, assuring him his roster spot wasn't in jeopardy.

“Him understanding the situation, the dynamic of our roster, and just thinking of it as more of, like, ‘How do I fit into this team?’ rather than possibly being worried about a roster spot. I think that’s kind of what it boils down to," Stammen said. "And when we gave him that confidence that he’s a big part of this team and that we’re putting him in specific roles to help us win games, I think that’s when he started embracing it a little bit too.

“The credit goes to him. He’s the one who was like, ‘All right, this is what the situation is. How do I make the best of it?’ And he’s made the best of it over this entire year, but especially here lately.”

For the year, the veteran has hit .192 with two home runs and 13 runs batted in, while posting an OPS of .560. Castellanos is still getting used to his role with the Padres, but the success over the weekend could be what he needed to get his bat going.

“Being able to do this — and know that there’s guys that have made careers doing this — I have a lot of respect for those individuals,” Castellanos said. “It’s not easy.”

Even in his struggles, Castellanos has a lot of experience in this league. After all, he is a two-time All-Star, and he has won a Silver Slugger award in his career.

The entire Padres organization seems to be behind Castellanos, which is also a good sign of his standing on the roster. Teammate Manny Machado praised the veteran for how he has handled the transition this season.

“First time in his career he’s had to do something like that,” Machado said. “To be able to go out there and have at-bats like that against tough pitchers, late in the game, and have really good at-bats, it’s impressive to see."

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