The Padres and outfielder Nick Castellanos have agreed to a Major League deal, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post (multiple links). Castellanos will earn $780K on the contract, which is the MLB minimum salary for the 2026 season. The Padres have an open spot on their 40-man roster, so no corresponding move will be required once the deal is finalized by Castellanos passing a physical. Castellanos is represented by Mato Sports Management.
After signing Miguel Andujar to a one-year, $4MM guarantee a few days ago, San Diego has now added another veteran right-handed bat to its list of DH or bench candidates. Castellanos will also be in the first base mix, as per The Athletic’s Dennis Lin, which is noteworthy since Castellanos has never played the position during his pro career. Given how Castellanos has struggled badly in the field as a third baseman and corner outfielder over his career, a move to first base is seemingly long overdue, though Castellanos has been blocked at the position throughout pretty much the entirety of his 13-year MLB tenure.
The left-handed hitting Gavin Sheets is lined up as the Padres’ top choice at first base, so Castellanos makes sense as a platoon partner. Ramon Laureano figures to get most of the time in left field, so Andujar will be used primarily as a DH, providing competition for Castellanos at another spot. Castellanos’ old position of right field is filled by Fernando Tatis Jr., so Castellanos probably won’t be getting much or any time in right unless Tatis is hurt or is getting a DH day.
Given the Padres’ stated need for hitting depth, they were seen as a potential candidate to acquire Castellanos during the Phillies’ winter-long attempts to find a trade partner, and Lin reports that the two teams did indeed have some trade talks before Castellanos was released two days ago. It would seem like the Padres (and other teams) were willing to just wait the Phillies out on a Castellanos release rather than give up anything in value, as the Phils didn’t exactly have much leverage given how open the front office has been for months about their desire to move on from Castellanos.
The Padres’ $780K commitment will be subtracted from the $20MM owed to Castellanos in 2026, leaving the Phillies on the hook for $19.22MM in the final season of the five-year, $100MM deal the slugger signed during the 2021-22 offseason. That nine-figure investment translated to 0.8 fWAR and a perfectly average 100 wRC+ over four seasons and 2477 plate appearances, with Castellanos hitting .260/.306/.426 and 82 home runs in a Philadelphia uniform.
This so-so offense was paired with very subpar right field defense, as Castellanos was locked into an outfield position due to Kyle Schwarber’s presence at DH, and Rhys Hoskins and Bryce Harper acting as the starting first basemen. Castellanos’ lack of production on the field led to some tension off the field, as detailed by The Athletic’s Matt Gelb two days ago. Castellanos bristled at suggestions that he should alter his swing or be removed from games for defensive purposes, and he clashed with manager Rob Thomson and hitting coach Kevin Long.
The low point came last June 16, when Castellanos was removed for a late-game sub and Castellanos had to be prevented by teammates from drinking a beer in the dugout as a public protest of Thomson’s decision. Castellanos addressed this incident and apologized in a post on his Instagram page, but he’ll surely face plenty of questions about his controversial Phillies stint when he arrives at the Padres’ spring camp.
It remains to be seen if Castellanos can play first base at a passable level, or if he’ll be able to adjust to more of a part-time role after taking such pride in being an everyday regular throughout his career. The simple fact is that Castellanos has no choice but to adjust, as he is now entering his age-34 season and is looking to revive his career following his disappointing run in Philadelphia.
A bounce-back performance would go a long way towards reviving Castellanos’ value for future contracts following the 2026 campaign. He’ll get that chance on another NL contender in San Diego, and there is some irony in the fact Castellanos is joining a Padres team that has seen more than its share of clubhouse tumult over the last few years. A revolving door in the manager’s office has contributed to the Padres’ issues behind the scenes, and new hire Craig Stammen will be San Diego’s fourth different skipper since Opening Day 2020.
That was quick
But smart
It was? Have you looked at his Baseball Savant page. baseballsavant.mlb.com/savant-player/nick-castella…
Exit Velo, Bat Speed — The guy cant hit anymore.
He’s better than a typical league minimum player for sure.
AM21:
Those numbers disagree:
Range: (1%) 99% of the league is better
Chase Rate (3%) 97% of the league is better
Hard Hit Rate (16%) 84% of the league is better
Bat Speed: (23%) 77% of the league is better
I could keep going
—
Sorry the ‘typical league minimum player’ is better “for sure”.
He still can hit at the mlb level. He’s just not a star anymore. His defense is the main issue
Breslow, sorry but you’re wrong here. The Padres believe he’s worth a shot given they had a 40 man slot open. It simply means it’s worth it to give him a chance over whomever else they were considering. If Boston had an open slot, I’d have wanted him in Fort Myers. If he acts up or shows nothing, he gets cut.
Dewey im so glad there was no spot in Boston the numbers say this guy is cooked and by all accounts a crappy teammate.plus if his only spot is dh we already are pot committed there as by the numbers Yoshida is a considerable upgrade since you arent getting out his 18 mil.further With the sox looking to pinch pennies to stay under the 2nd tax tier that 780k on him as a gamble would be a terrible waste and that much less money for a real acquisition at the deadline
And is a D–k
Sorry Dewey, “youre wrong here”. What a rude thing to say, how about ‘I disagree’.
Many people in “Boston” wanted to run Kristian Campbell out of town last year in Boston, and Campbell STILL had better numbers than Castellanos. Compare the numbers.
Players cant just turn it on and off when they want. And at 34yo, and with zero financial incentive, I dont see any reason to expect even a modest rebound. People follow trending numbers for a reason, you should research it a bit more.
—
PS: If you’re going to have me as an “ignore”, what are you doing responding to my posts?
Talk about damning with faint praise
Pool, it’s spring training where injuries can happen. Moreover, he’s right handed and has provided decent power in the past. Thus, my argument that he was worth a look. No one will tolerate clubhouse antics with the 26th player so hopefully he learned. Finally, he chose SD because he thinks he can make the roster.
Don’t care what anyone says this could end up being one of the steals of the off-season, he is capable of 39 doubles 20 Homer’s still does have low obp but for league minimum they cannot lose
JG
Thanx for disagreeing in a classy manner.
Pool: Good Point!
Right now Duran, Yoshi and Casas have the DH spot tied down. None of them are platoon players.
If the Red Sox had a 41st roster spot this morning and signed Castenallos, how in the world would they find ABs for him?
Dewey loves those crusty old veterans and doesn’t like prospects.
Breslow, I’m not rude by believing your wrong and what is “ignore”? I haven’t muted you nor would I. I just believe his track record is long (unlike Campbell who you mentioned) and is worth basically a free look. As for Campbell, last year he was thought of as a jack of all trades, one who could perform at any position yet he looked overwhelmed in the field wherever he was placed. It then seemed to affect his batting. Give the kid the time he should have gotten in Worcester to start the season. Forget the contract and just let him grow without the pressures.
Hence why franchises are often reluctant to hand out the extra year on a contract offer. It seems like the majority end this way.
-0.8 bWar last year says he’s not.
dewey:
Campbell was given as an example of the impatience in Boston fans. I was using a recent example.
Eric Hosmer would be a better my example of a player in Boston, who people hoped had could find the fountain of youth. And his numbers at the time were worlds better than Castellanos atm. We all know how that worked out.
Hammetin’, where did that come from? I look at each player separately. My argument is based on the fact that outside of Romy, the team is light from the right side on the bench and because Castallanos learned from JDM and I believe he may still be able to hit with a fresh start.
Breslow, sometimes they work out and other times they don’t. Castellanos cost only a roster spot. Again worth a shot if you have an opening.
@Breslow
Hosmer?! OMG, now your scaring all the Padre fans to death! 🙄😖🤣
Unless he’s retiring after the season, your “zero financial incentive” remark is wrong. He’d be playing for another contract.
Breslow: I agree with you about the baseball issue. But what Dewey said is not the slightest bit rude.
Let’s see how many guys the padres will rotate through 1B looking to replace Arraez
@ohyeahdam
I’d rather have any platoon at first base than more of Arraez. Sheets and Castellanos can presumably be instructed on the value of working a walk. Arraez apparently could not.
You might want to double check Castellanos’ walk rate. He’s very much a free swinger like Arraez, just with more power and less contact.
@straight
Oh, I know. That’s how little faith I have that Arraez will ever change. I’d rather deal with the mess that is Castellanos half the time at league minimum than more of Arraez’s overrated game at $12 million.
My guess too is Castellanos will see more reps at DH anyway than at first if he makes the team out of Spring Training.
They already have Sheets, who was a better 1B as of last year lol.
It won’t take very much to replace Arraez and his 1.2 bWar. Bet Preller wishes he still had Jakob Marsee, who he traded away in that deal.
Always down with 10 minute player evaluations on how they’ll fit in team chemistry-wise.
There’s plenty of experts on that topic around here.
Have a beer Nicky!
That’s what she ……..
There’s a drive into left field by …..
I don’t know if you should ever wear these headphones again, Theo…!
I think the Padres dugout and clubhouse will be okay if Castellanos gets regular playing time, as in every game. He’s got a tricky personality and he wears his heart on his sleeve.
I enjoyed rooting for him as a Phillie, until I didn’t.
Nick never had an opinion that he did not want to express and did.
He felt that he was owed the starting job and finishing each game.
His hitting has been trending down for three years.
He was a good fielder and thrower but only covered ten square feet.
He thought that his big contract covered him.
His best attribute now is that he comes for basically no cost.
But Nick may have seen the light and figures that it is now or never to continue a once promising career.
He has basically been a good guy and teammate although at times a pain in the butt.Dombrowski was right- a change of scenery could benefit him.
His negative WAR is basically his fielding or lack thereof.
Statistics tell the past story but are not guaranteed to tell the future.
I think that he will turn it around as a DH and be a league average hitter at worst.I do not know why they need both him and Andujar although there was no guarantee that they would get Nick.
Just don’t put him the outfield.
Could he have gotten further away from Philadelphia geographically?
He could have gone to Japan
I wonder if he would have violated the terms of his contract then? Interesting question.
No he wouldn’t have violated the contract because he was released from the contract. He was a free agent. That means he is free to do what he wants. I’m not sure if the Japanese salary would be taken off though.
According to Google the Phills would owed him the entire 20 million regardless of what he made in Japan.
I figured that would be the case. It would be like getting a job anywhere else. If he got a job selling cars or something, I doubt Philly would get to subtract each commission. Not that he would do that when making $20 million, but he COULD. If it is possible to do, there is likely some regulation for it.
Not with 20 mil on the line lol
he could have gone to Australia
He chases breaking balls so far out of the strike zone they could possibly end up in Japan.
He will have to change that proclivity to stay in the ML’s.
It is necessary to first change his outlook on deserving a full time job.
Everybody needs to work on keeping his attributes as they get older and I think that Nick took his natural hitting ability as a young player for granted.
Mars! Mars needs baseball players!
Those aren’t boos, per se. They’re actually using a Philly term of endearment: “hey boo, how’s chings?”
Xander will be a positive influence on him.
I didn’t realize he was still a child and very impressionable.
Mark – Personal and professional growth doesn’t stop at childhood. People can change for the better at any age.
Agreed. But can Xander fix his bat speed and chase rate? While he attends to his own?
stel – That’s a whole other subject! The positive influence is more related to behavior, he has mentored players such as Devers and Merrill.
Hopefully he can mentor, because he’s not giving them anywhere near enough production for that bloated contract he signed.
Fever – i wouldnt use Devers as an example. Two options there, either Bogey couldn’t do enough to mentor Devers, or, whatever lessons he passed on left town as quickly as Bogey did.
Either way, not exactly a success story. (And mind you, Bogey was my favorite red sox after pedroia, and, before Sale came to town)
Should be a great fit in that clubhouse. It’s already a mess and now you add a sulker?
Sometimes chaos can be cohesive…. if everyone is griping and acting out you lose the attention getting aspect of your misbehavior, and, it become disincentivized.
In a well behaved clubhouse, you grab attention for acting out.
In a madhouse you blend into the background no I se and your tantrum becomes wasted effort, which, you realize fairly early.
GASoxFan: far-fetched.
but he’s an attractive sulker… isn’t that worth it? LOL
I bet Castellanos and Machado will at least have a few bouts during the season especially since Shildt isnt there anymore
This is going to be a wild clubhouse
I’m certain that each and everyone of them will be on their very best behavior all season long!
‘86 Mets vibes or 2011 Red Sox
Castellanos, Machado, and Tatis all in the same clubhouse. The sitcom writes itself.
Shrunk…… Well, since Im guessing you’ve never been in the clubhouse, you, like the rest, have zero clue how Manny and Tatis are in there. From what everyone says locally they’re good teammates.
Vermon – Agreed! People often don’t realize players mature as they get older. Sure Machado was a jerk with the O’s, but that was 8 years ago ….. he’s 33 now, not 25. Everything I’ve heard is he has become a respected team leader.
Fever – there is no redemption in my book for a guy who intentionally spikes knees.
Relatedly, maybe Cobb became a great doting grandfather, ive got no idea, but I’ll always equate him to a guy actually sharpening spikes to rake opposing ballplayer.
Reputations are earned and deserve to hang around someone neck like Marley’s chains… forged link by link
I guess this means Cronenworth is the only backup at SS
I see Wagner as currently listed on the projected roster on Roster Resource and he has options. Is he the current backup?
He has no SS experience and there’s not a 26 man roster spot available now anyway
The Padres are a team of shortstops. Duh
Brew – first, I thought this signing was about as obvious as it could get. I hope it works for all. Second, I share you backup SS concern but in a pinch during a game injury, Cro, Tatis, Merrill or even Manny could finish a weekend until you could get someone there. Someone has to juggle and figure this out but I like the signing to fill the need at DH (assuming that Gavin was slotted at 1b) and now the compliment of Miguel and Nick – Thats a lot of value for less than 5 m between them.
Beats the heck out of The last 3-4 years of cobbling the DH spot with over the hill (and in some cases overpaid) guys hoping for one more year! There are line 6-7 guys to name here. You know them so I’ll skip listing.
Long- totally agree.
Padres are in a much better spot to start the season than they were a year ago.
Think people forget what they rolled out in LF/DH/C a year ago.
While we don’t what they will get from some of these dudes, they have a higher upside than those dues last year.
MUCH! 🙂
my comment wasn’t a complaint guys. Just stating the plan that has unfolded. This will be the first OD roster in quite some time with Cronenworth as backup SS
Brew- while it hasn’t been mentioned by the padres. It’s a little surprising they haven’t said anything about giving song some reps at short. If he can play third, second, first…he maybe passable at short. Just in case cronenworth has an injury. Obviously the first option is moving cronenworth to short and song to second. Though if they both go down they will need another option.
Simm – AJ actually did say in a recent interview that Song would play utility role at 3B, 2B and 1B, and left out SS. No real experience at SS so I’d be surprised if they try to make him one in ST and go into the season with him as primary backup. McCoy (not Wagner) is the only option at SS on the 40-man but won’t make 26-man OD roster (and neither will Wagner). I see this as an interesting development.
@Brew’88
re: “my comment wasn’t a complaint guys. ..”
I don’t recall Cronie ever being a liability at SS. Solid defense, just not the range of some of the other super-defense-SS’s that the Padres have had on the roster of late. I can’t place a year, but there have been a few in the past 25 or so years where Cronie would have been welcomed as a savior at SS, compared to what the Padres fielded. He’s getting older, so I’m not sure the position would be a favor to him for his health, but I’m pretty sure he can handle that load. (Not that you are saying otherwise, just sayin’ …)
@Simm & @Brew
The battle (lately, anyhow) in the MLB has been for true, two way SS, a guy who can handle the position and contribute at offense. If the Padres lineup produces like it should, the Pads should be able to find a competent glove to fill in SS, and still afford the hit on offense, should the worst situation occur (e.g. Bogie, Cronie go down, maybe also Song, McCoy, ya know how baseball goes).. Compared to issues like, oh, I dunno, starting pitching, SS ain’t a large concern.
And as Longtimecoming so eloquently put it, there ARE other MLB players on the roster with professional experience at short.
Well….castellanos isn’t good enough to play outfield so why not shortstop too 🤷♂️
McCoy could still make the roster. I would guess that with Song they’ll be more inclined to slide Cronenworth to SS to spell Bogaerts.
They will slide cronenworth to short. Question is what happens if cronenworth has an injury.
Then who is filling in at short. While there are options, they just aren’t very good options.
I wonder if they sign a guy like Iglesias. Which would mean Johnson doesn’t make the team.
Anyways will see if they just roll the dice with Xander cronenworth duo at short or bring in another guy.
BJ is OoO, I don’t think they only wanna carry 3 OFs even if Laureano and Tatis could both cover CF. I would like Iglesias back. I frankly do not want to see Castellanos past ST, which probably means he’s making the OD roster as the RH DH/PH given AJ’s proclivity for adding over-the-hill vets I hate. Ideal bench IMO would be Andujar, Campusano, Song, Johnson, Iglesias/McCoy. Wagner would be an option if Song is completely overwhelmed at ML level. Missing some LH power on the days where Sheets starts, but good defensive coverage.
On 2nd thought, Sheets can cover LF in a pinch and Song should be playable there too (and maybe elsewhere), so maybe BJ is superfluous.
Johnson’s value is playing center and pinch running. Which is a good fit especially with some a lack of speed on this team.
I like Johnson as a bench option. It’s just a matter is that value greater than the risk of cronenworth/xander combo a greater risk.
Guess we shall see what direction they go soon enough.
Bruh.
Manny and Nick are close friends I believe from their South Florida ties. Think it’s a good fit for both parties.
So you think they’ll stop at two parties? I see them hitting at least 4 each night.
hey, the chemistry will either produce a strong team, or a comical fiasco – I’m here for both since they’re not my main team, but I like some of the players. This ought to be good. LOL But I hope they work out.
Mrs. Machado may have something to say about that. Manny is a daddy, a “whole adult” now. Plus, his brother in law is a former Padre MLB player, and I believe he’s still in SD. So, I doubt Manny will be out in the bars running around like 21 year old kids.
Manny and Yuli G are good friends too. That didn’t work out so well.
Well Anthony said in his chat yesterday he would be a fit in that dysfunctional clubhouse. Go figure…
Lol….yes, it happened within hours of that column.
Padres have been known to have clubhouse issues for years. Let’s sign Castellanos as a calming presence!
LOLOLOLOLOLOL this is pretty good. Nice! I think he’ll either make them really good, or it will all burn down within 60 days. LOL
As if these non-Padre fans have any clue, what the Padre clubhouse is all about. Man, the ignorance demonstrated on this thread embarrassing. That “club chemistry’ thingy has been a strength of the Padres for half a dozen years. The high-energy Latin & Hispanic players do have their moments, but they are brothers in arms before and after they let off steam.
.Old- Wire is a Philly Fan can’t handle Nick signing with the Padres.
Better than Andujar and competition for Laureano. Don’t see room for all three on the opening day roster unless there is injury to someone. Trade with Royals looks better now than when the article was written?
No
Haha. Fruit
I don’t think Castellanos is competition for any of the Padres outfielders but he may be able to help at DH. If a trade for a pitcher from KC comes out of this, that may be worth it… at least it doesn’t cost much $$ to see if he can fit in and be productive.
He could be a defensive sub for Tatis on occasion, Like the Apocalypse or something like that.
Andujar going to have a big season and this is a great addition to the Padres.
They were already stacked. I imagine they keep Laureano and ride with Vasquez and Sears as the 5/6 and that is good depth.
Joe Musgrove can make the Padres great if he has a strong return, if he doesn’t, they should have enough pitching to get to the all-star break.
King’s health and Jason Adam yo a lessor extent are the lynch pins on this team but with how good there bullpen, Id say they are as strong as any team in MLB heading into spring.
Dodgers have to be the favorites but if the Padres stay healthy, they can win the division.
Huh? It’ll be a 1b/split between Sheets, Andujar, and Castellanos. Injuries happen. It’s a good way to keep the guys fresh.
Sheets needs to be the everyday 1B, he has been waiting for this opportunity for a while now and committing to him will keep his spirits up.
Sheets poised for a big year.
He’s still gonna get close to 500 abs depending on health. There’s plenty to go around.
Well, Andujar will still platoon at 1B with Sheets and Castellanos will be the DH – I think. For a team that was strapped for cash this was a scenario that played out as good as possible. I’m a happy Padres fan. And Preller signed Canning as well. Didn’t have to give up any of our bullpen..Not yet anyway. There’s still a chance Preller trades for another starting pitcher with maybe Estrada as compensation.
@winnie It might be the opposite when they’re both in the starting lineup, with Andujar as primary DH and Castellanos in platoon at 1B. We’ll see. Both Castellanos and Andujar are subpar defensively and have little experience at 1B, my guess is that one is going to end up in PH role when the other is DHing.
Either way works for me. I’m feeling good about our team right now. Although I wouldn’t hate it if Preller traded for another legit starting pitcher.
Winnie- my guess is if he does it will be at the deadline. I believe Preller is saving his trade chips for the deadline.
I think they’re done adding pieces at this point, even though they might have cash to bring in more if some guys don’t work out in spring training. People forget that Sears was a legit ML SP in Oakland and we gave up a lot for him – in some ways is on par with Canning (4/5 SP). I’m hoping he gets back on track 2026 and at a minimum serves as our #5 until Canning is fully back from injury..
Brew – no doubt on Sears potential but when referencing the trade, I think they gave it up for Miller and Sears was just a good additional need that could make the deal better if he pans out.
Let’s not forget about the potential for a Yu retirement and 14 mil becoming available.
What would Mad Max for 3 months cost? 5 mil?
He is worse than Andujar. Andujar got $4M and the Padres are only paying Castellanos league minimum.
Great move. LFGSD
So the Braves known for hanging out at the recycling bin (DFA Zone) said they needed a DH couldn’t pony up 780K? I guess they thought he wouldn’t fit in the Clubhouse!
That’s strange because Nick is a slim fellow and Mark Bowman fits in the Clubhouse just fine.
How many McNuggets do you think I could eat in one sitting
I think you see that family serving of 20 as an appetizer my friend.
They do not need a DH.
This is the move for them to finally beat the Dodgers in the standings!
LOL
Well, if not, the Pads can just pony up another $100B like the Dodgers do, and .. oh wait. NO team has the money that the Dodgers have, not even the Mets. So, let’s laugh at the small market team that spends REAL cash, where the owners put up REAL capital, and they go for it, every, single, year.
I suppose that kind of humor helps fans of other teams cope. Dodger fans? Hell, they can be as arrogant and feisty as they want, ’cause there’s no downside for a large market team with truly unlimited resources (e.g. Dodgers OWN their own stadium, completely – how many other MLB teams have a 100 year legacy plus their own stadium).
But, I digress. The Pads will show up, they’ll play hard, they’ll play EXCITING BASEBALL, and have sell out crowds EVERY DAY (not just weekends). They’ll be just fine, likely in they playoffs once again, one of the few small market teams that have done that year after year.
Stammen has his work cut out for himself.
Stammen can probably handle a knucklehead like Castellanos just fine.
Stammen won’t have to “handle” Castellanos. Musgrove, Manny, Tati, Bogaerts, Cronenworth, and a few of the other Padre MLB vets will sit down with him when he first enters the clubhouse and have a chat. They’ll handle him. If he’s the MLB gamer he portrays himself to be, he’ll fit in just fine.
And then, they’ll probably buy him his first Petco Park, beer, too. 🙂
I bet AJP really misses being able to spend like a drunken sailor.
Going from shopping from the top shelf to digging through the clearance bin must be a real buzzkill.
King – if you have followed AJ for the past 5 or so years, he has always shopped in both the cheaper (Japan returnees/reclamation/conversion to SP/one more year vets) dept and the top shelf depts at the same time.
@Longtimecoming
The really fun part will be watching other MLB team fans going berserk, as AJP refills the farm system with stars, and has the Padres system within the top 5 MiLB systems, within 1-2 years. Good times .
(Well, AFTER AJP signs his next contract, which I suspect he will not do until after he’s spoken to the new Padres controlling owners.)..
Castenellas will be considered the Padres’ second best signing of the day. Welcome Griffin Canning.
One of Miguel or Nick will get time at first. This is a good move for they got shoved to the ground by all the lefties the cubs threw at them in the playoffs.
Tatis
Merrill
Manny
Laureano
Sheet/miguel/casty
Xander
Miguel/casty/song
Cronenworth
Fermin/campy
Pretty solid lineup if casty and Miguel can be decent.
Bench
Song
Casty/sheets/miguel
Campy
Johnson
I’m excited.
if you’re going to say casty you have to say muni (“mooonie”)
Castellanos has a lot to prove after the breakup in Philly. I would hope he and the Padres discussed his role on this team and he is onboard with the DH/1st base/OF in a pinch role he will have in 2026.
He is the pinch runner.
Padres are the only team in the NL that can take out the Dodgers.
Three capable starting pitchers and the Padres are all gas and no brakes at the trade deadline every year adding pieces.
The Dodgers do their damage against teams in the late innings and the Padres bullpen with Morejon, Adam and Miller have the answer for that.
Machado, Tatis Jr and Merrill can match up with Otani, Freeman and Mookie at this point offensively where it’s not going to be completely one-sided.
The Dodgers scored nearly 125 more runs than the Padres last year and added Tucker. They’re nowhere close offensively.
But you don’t understand. The Dodgers look at the Padres as that red headed step child. The Padres on the other hand HATE the Doyers. The Padres FO will not sell Padre tickets to Dodger fans who live in LA County Zip Codes.
Padres are definitely #2 in the division. Brewers, Cubs, and Phillies all look good.
I do think the best non Dodgers teams are probably all in the AL East. Mariners and Tigers are good too.
Is the AL the stronger league this year?
The Padres are top heavy, especially on offense. They have to rely on guys like Andjuar, Laureano (good player, but he had a career year at 30), Sheets and Castellanos to give them real production. I personally don’t see that working out well for them. I love their bullpen and that will keep them in most games, but they’re like an 84-88 win team as constructed.
The padres aren’t any worse than last year. Actually look better today than the start of the season a year ago. A team that won 90 games for the second straight year.
I’d take the bet that the padres score more runs this year than they did last year.
Giants or Diamondbacks any better?
Anything can happen but as constructed I like the Padres a little more than the Giants.
Padres higher ceiling Giants higher floor?
I like the Padres pitching. If they can fix that offense, they’ll be right there with the Cubs, Phillies, or any AL East team.
fred-3, please visit us in June or July to see how your prediction is going. I think you’re going to be surprised.
@Simm
“I’d take the bet that the padres score more runs this year than they did last year.”
Particularly so, considering the deadwood the Pads had at DH for the first half of the year. Nothing really matters until they play the games, Pads, Dodgers, and everyone else. Someone’s gonna have a breakout year, maybe someone like Bogaerts has a recovery year, someone will crash (injury or otherwise), it’s a crap shoot. I’d take last years pitching over this years, except for the fact that Musgrove had TJ surgery and went on the shelf, Darvish never got off the shelf, King was either ineffective or on the IL, and … so forth.
This year’s Pads have a lot of potential upside, and a solid core, a fan can’t ask for anymore than that (or expect it, unless your team is the unlimited funds Dodgers).
re: “Giants or Diamondbacks any better?”
I expect both of them to be better. Both have pretty good organizations overall, but it’s tough to compete when the Dodgers are your “standard”.
Now, the Rockies? God help the poor Rockies fans. All one can say for certain is that they probably can’t get much worse. While the Pads are at a disadvantage compared to other MLB divisions due to the Dodgers, the NL West has really only been a 4-team division for the past few years at least.
Sorry I meant are the Giants or DBacks better than the Padres? You can say all three improved, or tried to, for sure.
I’ll let ya know next September. Would make no bets otherwise. Baseball is just a crap shoot, i.e. too many things out of anyone’s control to predict anything. I doubt that either the Giants or Diamondbacks will be pushovers. I think that the Pads have the advantage, but the Giants & DBacks will compete.
I agree. I think the DBacks could have a very bad year if several things don’t pan out. Giants seem safe to be in contention. Padres have the best shot of going furthest.
All totally depends on injuries and performance.
Adds another layer of drama if the Padres and Phillies match up in the playoffs. This could get interesting and revenge is a dish best served in October.
Like Canada v US in hockey after the tarriffs
Canada already has tariffs on us
As do the Phillies
Yeah but those aren’t as funny.
On a serious note the only taxes allowed by the Constitution are tariffs.
Inflation is the most insidious and evil form of taxation.
I came for the baseball, but stayed for the spooky and wicked economic talk.
To be accurate, taxes are cited in that pesky document, and include duties, imposts, and excises.
Now, back to baseball!
@Wade and Bart
I come here, READING EVERY LAST POST, just to escape BOTH taxes and the rest of politics. That’s just how much I hate it …lol
But hey, we’re just into Spring Training. Let’s save up all our “hate” for baseball related stuff.! It’s more fun.
Cheers!
Yeah you are right. Was just being silly.
I come here always with an absence of malice (unless one is talking sh¡t about Philadelphia fans), so at the risk of repeating myself: Now, back to baseball!😜
He fits right in with Tatis and Machado as another clubhouse cancer lol. Perfect match!
Was he born in June?
Debunked! None of them are Cancers. Had the wife check.
Lol, Tatis and Machado.
“Clubhouse cancers” that every fan of every other MLB teams WISHES were on their own teams. Funny that, no?
Meanwhile, in the ACTUAL Padre Clubhouse of love, that EVERY ballplayer, even anonymously, calls one of the best in baseball … real life goes on.
Nice move by Preller. These small additions are his forte. The Angels got Soler for $14M and SD gets his doppelganger for minimum wage.
Good addition anywhere for that price. Nice quick work here, SD.
Would’ve been funny seeing him go to KC
SD could get pretty funny pretty quick too.
The Padres offense could be considerably better with full seasons from Laureano, Castellanos, Merrill and Fermin with a dynamite platoon option in Miguel Andujar. vs LHP’s.
It will be interesting to see how the Padres handle Matsui and Peralta, both under contract through ’27, and both struggled late last season.
Padres LHRP has potential to be a thorn all season.
If both fail to pitch well, Padres have Hart as an option but will still be vulnerable and LHRP is very important down the stretch.
Wandy and Matsui are fine. They were better than they get credit for.
They were good early in the season, but both were liabilities down the stretch.
The numbers dont tell it but I noticed it, there were more than a few games late in the season that one or both were ineffective.
Every reliever has a bad outing. The numbers say they were not very serviceable or actually good.
They aren’t late game lights out relievers but are good guys for low leverage situations.
Both good options heading into the season, I’ll give you that.
Peralta was lights out late last season
Peralta is fine and a capable LHRP, Matsui is looking like his stuff isn’t MLB viable. I would give him this year (maybe to the trade deadline) before making a final judgement.
Matsui had an era+ of 108 last year. Era under 4, strikes out about 9/9.
He is definitely a major league pitcher. He isn’t great but very serviceable.
Terrible BB:K ratio and extremely homer prone as a lefty at Petco. If he weren’t LH and guaranteed $5M a year he wouldn’t be on the team. He’s a sunk cost at this point, so I’m fine giving him some leash.
His contract is an overpay but that doesn’t make him not serviceable.
He definitely would struggle to make the padres team without the contract he has. That’s less about Matsui and more about how strong the padres pen is.
@Simm
“His contract is an overpay…”
It’s tough to talk about “overpay” contracts on relief pitchers, without the name “Drew Pomeranz” coming to mind. Matsui is at least healthy AND effective. Drew was never healthy or “right” with the Pads, yet he was paid as a closer.
Morejon is a left handed reliever
Castellanos at firstbase sounds interesting.
Probably will be a battle between casty and Miguel to see who can handle first. The other will be the primary DH.
WHAT A HOOT ! That might have set a record for a change of teams, Nick will do well out there. The prior Nick news had a gazillion comments, too funny.
Philly chumps will regret it. 100 rbis coming
Not really. The guy was a stiff
In truth, Garcia isn’t much better at this point offensively but I’ll trade it for better defense.
Adding another great chemistry piece. This is going to be one to watch.
No such thing as chemistry. Pure confirmation bias after success
Could do far worse if your intent was filling the bench out and very worthy of a free gamble. I was convinced Nick was going to be a Pirate!
The Dodgers just won the NL West.
where were the cubs?
If he had offers from more than the Padres I imagine he picked the team with the chance to get the most ABs. They are about the best fit other than KC or Minnesota or a rebuilding team. In SD he has less of a chance of being traded mid season. And the weather.
@WadeHe was signed for the league minimum. Any team could shave had him Phillies are paying his $15M . It’s soooo right.
Another shrewd move for SD.
Shrewd move ex lax?
The negotiations consisted of: “you want to play where it’s beautiful every day for the league minimum? If not, good luck”…
forecasted Monday-Wednesday major storm in SD is looking beautiful from a drought perspective
@longWere talking between April and October
I wonder if playing for us under the league minimum salary – while still earning $19+ mil from Philadelphia – could ease the pressure on Castellanos enough for him to play more relaxed and have a better season than last year..
Just as I predicted, Castellanos will fit well in San Diego.
And the price is right for the Padres. Playing Castellanos at a postion that he can handle (1B/DH) (unlike in Philly) is the key to maximizing his talents and will keep him happy and producing in San Diego.
Kuddos to AJ Preller for waiting the Phillies out and not giving up any players in getting Castellanos.
Castellanos will be motivated to have a big year and lay the ground work
for his next big contract..
Castellanos is definitely a “change of scenery” type player.
How motivated will Castellanos be when the Padres and the Phillies play?! Revenge will be on the table.
If the Padres play the Phillies in the playoffs, then I expect Castellanos to be ‘fired up” and do some major damage in those “must see” playoffs games.
Why wasn’t he “motivated” last year? Jaja
Preller definitely did not need to give up anything to get Castellanos. Padres are the best landing spot he could hope for.
Now if the Rockies had wanted him…
There will be kegs of Presidente in that clubhouse in no time.
If he plays nice, doesn’t rock the boat, accepts his role without pouting, he can be a nice contributor. And if he’s a pain, just cut him. Chump change for the Padres.
It seems very unlikely for Castellanos playing any 1B decent level at this time. With Laureano and Tatis fixed at LF and RF, respectively, he’d have to excel with the bat in order to make the team as DH/RH bench.
Idk how Padres fans are so happy about Nick Castellanos, on the Mets site I was pounding the table for them to stay as far away from him as possible and it seemed almost the entirety of the fanbase in the comments agreed. Nothing to do with his character which is questionable at best it’s just the fact he’s cooked. Can’t field, I mean sure being he’s making $20M he will go stand somewhere with a glove but he ain’t tracking anything down. He swings and misses at everything, he has a slow bat that makes weak contact and could barely scratch 20HR playing half his games at Citizens Bank.
Padres are paying him league min.
He can DH, spot start in the outfield or 1b. He may not be great but it’s on upgrade over what the had prior.
He may not make the team out of Spring. League minimum depth signing that fills a gap. If it works out he sticks. If not oh well.
Oh I hate this signing. Where does he fit in? Sheets/Andujar looks like the primary 1B platoon. I’d much rather see Campusano get RH DH starts when Fermin is catching. I hope this is just a ST invite/depth signing but I can’t imagine Castellanos being amenable to being sent down.
They aren’t carrying a third catcher so campy won’t be starting at DH.
Will see what he has, if he sucks he can be released. It’s league min deal…so no biggie if he sucks.
I would rather a 3rd defensive catcher then and let Campusano loose. Yes there’s minimal obligation but it’s not “if he sucks”.. he’s been league average with the bat the past 3 seasons and much worse than Andujar (admittedly in a full-time role) while being one of the worst defenders in MLB and having clubhouse issues. Maybe getting him out of LF and at 1B (can he even play 1B?)/DH brings the bat back around but it’s not worth the headache with a first-time manager. Echoes of Maldonado and Gurriel last year where everyone but the Padres FO seemed to know the writing was already on the wall.
Campy hasn’t shown he is even a league avg bat in the mlb for a couple of years now.
If campy earns DH bats they can always add a 3rd catcher.
At this point there is no harm and seeing if casty can contribute to the team. He isn’t being paid anything that matters.
Sure but the upside IMO is much greater. Campy has been up and down (figuratively and literally) in his MLB career. I would love to see him get 300+ PAs and see if there’s anything there, especially now that you’re forced to carry him on the 26-man or risk losing him. There’s nothing in the last 4 years from Castellanos that says to me “this guy could rebound” and everything coming out of the split with the Phillies paints him as a headache. Again, feels like last ST where yes, they can pivot off a bad vet signing, but why not just sidestep the whole thing in the first place?
Campy will get about that many at bats at catcher if he hits for anything.
Agree after reading Athletic write up can’t see this working with a rookie manager. Also basically pushes Johnson off the roster. Don’t think he sticks past ST
A team can’t let a prospect like Campy with his bat, just walk away without at least one serious opportunity. I don’t know if he can handle the catching job (I never felt he was that bad, but I guess I didn’t see him in enough games; the pro’s say he’s bad), but there a lot worse 4A hitters out there who have better opportunities than Campy has had. I don’t know how it’ll workout, but it’d hurt big time to have him go to say, Seattle on a waiver claim, and hit .330 with 35 home runs, all because Padre pitchers didn’t like throwing to him.
He may be one of those “hard headed” guys who doesn’t take well to coaching, has had a ton of it, leading to managers tossing up their hands and saying “I don’t have time for guys like this”. That was the way Sean Burroughs was, according to a former MLB player and coach I spoke with. Hard headed (plus as we later found out, drug issues).
We’ll see how it plays out.
The way to get Castellanos out? Do not throw him a strike……he is horrible
While his addition is difficult for some to swallow, Nick Castellanos signing with the Poverty Padres is a personal and business fit.
During his next tantrum, Casty promised to bench-quaff a “Crone Zone” from local Harland Brewing Co.
“Jake it With a Jake”
.
Excellent move. I was hoping the Cubs would sign him.
Why would you sign a DH and have no way getting Seiya, Moises or anyone else in the lineup at the same time when either is in the field?
If the Cubs didnt invest in Austin, then perhaps the Jed would of went deep dumpster diving for Nicky 2 bags.
This roster can’t have two RH 2.5 outcome guys assuming everyobe is healthy
Hopefully he rakes for SD
He won’t. Have fun.
Look out Dodgers!
Good for him, wish him luck. Should have gotten at least 1 ring with the Phillies: would have changed feelings for sure.
Shut up, Nicholas.
Why do I always get Castellanos and Anthony Rendon mixed up?
Was it looks or both being overpaid bums?
Maybe because of your poor intellect.
Yeah. 99.999 percentile of baseball players in history are overrated bums. What is your resume?
The bottom line is that the Phillies are going to pay Castellanos $19.22 million to play for an opposing team. Speaks volumes
So….
Nick got fired….
For not bringing his manager a beer?
Or…was it they were mad he brought alcohol free beer?…and they all said gtfo?
I understand completely.
Think he’ll have a chip on his shoulder? And a “bounce back” year?
I think so. He’s an emotional person that is confident, and he felt he was being humiliated for something not worthy, so he sulked because he’s emotional, but not bombastic like Puig, so he got kicked to the curb and still gets to make $20,000,000.00 (must be nice), but he seems like a perfect change of scenery player, and will very possibly play about 120 games, 18HR, 58RBI, well worth under a million. He just needs to do everything they ask of him to stick around.
Was there ever a question?!!?
Soon to be as popular & integral to the Pobres success as Ramón Lauriano!!!
“We have awful news to report, folks. The Coronado Bridge has collapsed. Rescue crews fear a massive loss of life and here’s Nick Castellanos with deep drive to left field, way back there, and gone!”
AJ needs to keep working the phones and possibly grab one or two more back of the rotation arms…
Giolito and Littell are out there and either would improve a whole lot of teams.
See this as a calculated & patient offseason grab for the Friars. I cannot wait to watch an SDPv Phillies series this season. I fully expect Castellanos’ bat will appear somewhere in San Diego’s lineup. Those on here who claim he cannot hit anymore might be elated to see him up at the plate with bat in hand and chip on his shoulder. Fun times ahead watching games between these opposite coast NL contenders😃
I wonder if Castellanos getting out of Philly and going to SD will have the same affect on his attitude and mental state as when Devers left Boston for San Fran. Sometimes a fresh start and change of scenery will rejuvenate a player and rehab his psyche. I’m not talking about his performance, necessarily, just his motivation and attitude.
Yeah but Devers caused the situation in Bean Town
Didn’t Castellanos cause the situation in Philly?
This seems strange after they just signed Miguel Andujar. There’s only one DH slot and they both mash lefties and have no defensive value. You generally don’t need more than one of those types of players on a roster.
SD is gonna be scary good.
So much for the theory that no other team would sign Castellanos because of his fallout with Topper Thomson. Other teams saw how Castellanos was being disrespected by the Phillies all along. San Diego just got the best off-season deal, and Castellanos is in a far better place.
Good luck, Nick. Show them who you are.
I guess the Padres don’t have any open container restrictions in their dugout. Who knew???
As I posted earlier, the Padre vets, Musgrove, Manny, Tati, Cronenworth, and maybe some other gamers, will welcome Castellanos into the clubhouse, sit down and have a very private, friendly “talk about things”, and that will be that.
Except, these pranksters will probably also buy him his first Petco Park beer, immediately afterwards. “Don’t start nothing; won’t be nothing.” New slate. Clean slate. Simple as that.
Why not? Another anti-glue-guy added to a team already full of them!