Padres' Nick Castellanos Responds to Phillies Firing Rob Thomson

The San Diego Padres roster wouldn't have featured All-Star Nick Castellanos this season had the Philadelphia Phillies never released him.

Castellanos became a castoff in Philadelphia after reports surfaced of a rift between him and the organization following an incident in Miami.

Ex-Phillies manager Rob Thomson benched Castellanos after he reportedly made an inappropriate comment after being taken out late in the game. The All-Star didn't take kindly to the move and brought a beer into the dugout as a response to Thomson's decision.

“As a veteran of the game of baseball, there are rules, and I broke one in Miami,” Castellanos posted on Instagram last June. “After being taken out of a close ball game in front of my friends and family, I brought a presedente [sic] into the dugout. I then sat right next to Rob and let him know that too much slack in some areas and too tight of restrictions in others are not conducive to us winning. Shoutout to my teammates and Howie [Kendrick, assistant GM, who was in the dugout] for taking the beer out of my hands before I could take a sip.”

As the saying goes, one man's trash is another man's treasure. While Castellanos said he was never told by the Phillies why he was released, he's now joined a contender in the Padres.

And just a few months into the season, Thomson was fired by the Phillies.

How does Castellanos feel about his former manager's departure?

“Let’s keep it to I’m happy for the guys [In Philly],” Castellanos said to the Times of San Diego of Thomson's firing. “I still have a lot of friends over there. I’m focused more on how Don and his son are going to have a positive effect on that organization. I don’t wish anything bad on that organization at all.”

Castellanos described his relationship with Thomson and cited communication as a point of contention between the two.

“We were cordial. We were professional,” Castellanos said. “At the end of the day I did everything he asked me to do. I never fought or bailed on a pinch-hit. I did my job. In the playoffs he needed me because of an injury. I suited up. He was my manager. Were there some communication issues? Yeah.”

The veteran added some praise for Thomson, who spent nearly four seasons as the Phillies skipper.

“Rob apparently communicates with other people great,” Castellanos said. “I communicate with other people great. Not everybody does. I don’t know if that makes any sense. He has a great baseball mind. He does his homework. He has a lot of great attributes.”

While some may characterize Castellanos' final months in Philadelphia as tumultuous, the All-Star has simply moved forward and is focused on the next chapter of his career with the Friars.

“Was everything perfect? No, I had my issues,” Castellanos said. “But we’re here. I’m with the Padres.”

Across 25 games this season, Castellanos is hitting .192 with two home runs, 13 RBIs and an OPS of .560. He's coming off his biggest swing of the season on Sunday, though, hitting a game-tying, two-run home run with the Padres down to their final out.

Add us as a preferred source on Google