Nick Castellanos Frustrated With Phillies After Questionable Rob Thomson Decision

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Paul White | Last updated Aug 30, 2025 5:00 PM ET

Philadelphia Phillies fans were ecstatic when the team acquired outfielder Nick Castellanos in free agency ahead of the 2022 season. Unfortunately, that excitement was short lived as the slugger’s production took a huge hit in all departments.

Castellanos’ OPS, a stat that combines on-base percentage and slugging percentage, consistently hovered around .800 earlier in his career, but he hasn’t crossed that threshold once since joining the Phillies.

His offensive struggles would be bearable if he were a serviceable fielder, but major defensive struggles, along with his inability to hit this season, has forced manager Rob Thomson’s hand.

The Phillies took on the Atlanta Braves Friday night, and in a tight 2-1 ballgame in the ninth inning, Thomson made the difficult decision to take Castellanos off the field.

The manager used Harrison Bader as a defensive replacement for the $100 million man, a practice that’s common in close baseball games to ensure outs, but it’s safe to say Castellanos was unhappy with the call.

When asked by reporters if it was frustrating to be taken out of a game in which he played fairly well in the field, Castellanos simply responded, “yes.”

Nick Castellanos was asked if it’s frustrating to be replaced defensively in the ninth after having a pretty solid game defensively.

“Yes.”

(Via @TimKellySports) pic.twitter.com/GAmsJQKScn
— On Pattison (@OnPattison) August 30, 2025

Castellanos refrained from elaborating on his feelings after having been benched for a game earlier this season for some comments he made towards Thomson. But it feels like the partnership between Castellanos and the Phillies is reaching a point of no return.

Castellanos’ Future in Philadelphia

After a hot start to the season, the two-time All-Star has been abysmal over the last two months, with a batting average under . 200 and an OPS of .556 since the start of July. These numbers aren’t even sustainable for bench players or a platoon, let alone an every day starter.

With Castellanos growing more frustrated by the day, it’s beginning to feel like this situation could reach a resolution this offseason. There was speculation at the trade deadline that Philadelphia would try to unload the massive contract, but it was reported that there was little interest around the league in a deal there.

With just one more year remaining on the deal, releasing Castellanos outright wouldn’t be too big of a financial hardship, so that’s the avenue the Phillies may have to explore.

Castellanos has risen to the bright lights of the postseason before in Philadelphia, so maybe another inspired playoff run can turn the tides for him in the city. But as of right now, his future looks murky.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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