Nick Castellanos stands on his criticism about lack of playing time with Phillies

One of the most shocking releases in MLB free agency came this past week, when the Philadelphia Phillies released outfielder Nick Castellanos after four seasons with the team.

A couple of days later, Castellanos was reported to have agreed to a one-year, $20 million deal with the San Diego Padres. In his early days as a Padre, the veteran has expressed his gratitude to the organization multiple times for giving him a fresh start and a change of scenery. 

Another element of the right fielder's gratitude is his appreciation for San Diego giving him an opportunity, as he felt he wasn't getting enough of that with the Phillies.

More: Padres sign All-Star outfielder following split from Phillies

When asked about his public concerns about his playing time from last season, Castellanos did not appear apologetic or regretful for making those comments.

"In the moment, I felt how I felt, and spoke from the heart, and was honest in every word that I said. It's not like I was outwardly ever displaying play... I kept it inside, but when I was asked the question, I shot straight, and then people perceived it how they wanted to," Castellanos said.

Castellanos has a point when he essentially brings up the point that he should not receive criticism for speaking his mind about his playing time when he was asked about it, because let's face the facts nowadays, whenever an athlete is unhappy, their professionalism goes out of the window, even when not asked about it.

If anything, the outfielder standing behind his statement says more about his character than anything else: how much he cares about making an impact on winning, and how much he knows how important it is not to become a distraction to the team, unwarranted.

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