Phillies tell two-time All-Star Nick Castellanos to stay home, remove all traces of him

The marriage between the Philadelphia Phillies and outfielder Nick Castellanos may finally be over.

Matt Gelb of The Athletic reported that the Phillies told Castellanos not to report to spring training. Gelb further reported that the Phillies removed Castellanos' photo from the hallway between the lobby and their clubhouse and that he does not have a locker.

The Phillies had been expected to move on from Castellanos, either by trading him or outright releasing the outfielder. He had reportedly become a problem in the clubhouse, with coaches and teammates disgusted by comments made to manager Rob Thomson after being removed from a game last season.

Nick Castellanos' poor production left Phillies in no-win situation

Trading Castellanos was a difficult proposition at best. He was the worst player in the majors who qualified for the batting title with -0.6 fWAR. Castellanos posted a disappointing .250/.294/.400 batting line in his 589 plate appearances, hitting 17 homers and 27 doubles.

His mediocre performance offensively was not the only hurdle to a trade. Castellanos, 33, is still owed $20 million in the final year of a five-year, $100 million contract he signed with the Phillies. The combination of Castellanos' salary, minimal production and locker room concerns torpedoed any chance the Phillies had to ship him elsewhere.

Castellanos may find a new team once he is officially released by the Phillies. He had produced a solid .263/.311/.454 batting line with 52 homers and 67 doubles in his 1,330 plate appearances between 2023 and 2024. Castellanos has also hit left-handed pitching well throughout his career, posting a .294/.344/.509 batting line with 76 home runs and 96 doubles in 1,732 plate appearances against southpaws. Castellanos could find himself on a major league roster come Opening Day; it just will not be with the Phillies.