The Philadelphia Phillies released outfielder Nick Castellanos with $20 million left on his contract and the veteran slugger is now lifting the lid on his mysterious September benching.
As Castellanos explained in a hand-written letter, which he posted online, he tried to bring a beer into the dugout during a game against the Marlins in Miami, and that led to a tense exchange with manager Rob Thompson.
‘After being taken out of a close ball game in front of my friends and family, I brought a Presidente into the dugout,’ the Florida native wrote. ‘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 was not conducive to us winning.’
That conversation continued in the clubhouse with Thomson and Dave Dombrowski, the president of baseball operations and a two-time World Series champion.
‘We aired out our differences and the conversation ended with me apologizing for letting my emotions get the best of me,’ Castellanos added.
Castellanos, who was benched the following game as a punishment, said he revealed the story to get ahead of an article that was set to come out about the incident.
The Phillies released outfielder Nick Castellanos with $20 million left on his contract
As Castellanos explained in a hand-written letter, which he posted online, he actually tried to bring a beer into the dugout, but was reprimanded by manager Rob Thompson (left)
‘OK, apparently I need to address The Miami Incident,’ Castellanos began the note. ‘As one of my friends on the team has informed me, there is an article waiting to come out without my consent or comments about this situation. So I’m going to just share myself.’
The Phillies had been trying to trade Castellanos, according to Dombrowski. Ultimately nobody proved willing to take on the final year and $20 million of the 34-year-old slugger’s contract.
Castellanos had a tough year in 2025, hitting just .250 with a career-low .294 on-base percentage and just 17 home runs.
Long one of the most strikeout-prone hitters in baseball, Castellanos got by on solid power and timely hitting. For his career, he has 250 home runs and a respectable .272 average.
He peaked in 2021, hitting 34 home runs for the Cincinnati Reds before hitting the free-agent market that winter. Ultimately the Phillies rewarded him with a five-year, $100 million deal that expires at the end of the 2026 season.
Castellanos, who was benched the following game as a punishment, said he revealed the story to get ahead of an article that was set to come out about the incident
Long one of the most strikeout-prone hitters in baseball, Castellanos got by on solid power and timely hitting. For his career, he has 250 home runs and a respectable .272 average
It was also in 2021 when Castellanos carved out a bizarre niche for himself in baseball history.
With Reds play-by-play announcer Thom Brennaman apologizing for using a homophobic slur on a hot mic, Castellanos homered against the Kansas City Royals, leading to a rather infamous call.
‘I pride myself and think of myself as a man of faith, as there’s a drive into deep left field by Castellanos, it will be a home run,’ Brennaman said, combining game action with a rather humbling moment. ‘And so that’ll make it a 4–0 ballgame.’
Brennaman, the son of legendary Reds radio announcer, Marty, was fired for the slur and has since returned to announcing.
Castellanos, meanwhile, developed a reputation for homering at awkward moments, which baseball fans have memorialized in a series of memes. In one such instance, Castellanos went deep as an announcer was eulogizing a military veteran.