Phillies to save nearly $1 million thanks to Padres adding Nick Castellanos

The Philadelphia Phillies came into this offseason with a very clear plan with outfielder Nick Castellanos. The $100 million outfielder was not going to come back in 2026.

But the question became whether he would be traded or cut. The Phillies couldn't find a trade partner and released him and his $20 million 2026 salary. They couldn't save any money, that is, for now.

With the San Diego Padres reportedly signing Castellanos, that new deal will bring good news for the Phillies.

As Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports, Castellanos' deal with the Padres is for the veteran minimum, which will save the Phillies roughly $1 million on his contract.

Phillies to save nearly $1M on Nick Castellanos contract thanks to Padres

"The San Diego Padres take a flier on recently released OF Nick Castellanos, paying him the minimum $780,000 salary, with the Phillies still responsible for $19.22 million on his salary in 2026," Nightengale reports.

The Phillies cut Castellanos after being unable to find a team willing to take on even a small part of his salary for the 2026 season.

While they couldn't save a lot of money by signing with the Padres this offseason, the Phillies will be saving $780,000 on his $20 million contract.

It's a very small amount compared to what the Phillies are still spending on Castellanos to not be on their team ($19.22 million), but it's still some extra money the Phillies are getting back this season.

More: MLB analyst makes the case for the Phillies to sign 2x All-Star arm

Less than 5% of his 2026 salary is now covered, but those savings are still better than nothing for the Phillies. It was a rough split, with the beer in the dugout incident and the defensive struggles leading to the awkward split this offseason.

His $100 million, five-year contract didn't go to plan for the Phillies, and after this Padres veteran minimum deal becomes official, the Phillies will be on the hook for all but $780,000 of that contract.

With World Series aspirations for the 2026 season, the Phillies are hoping that a new-look outfield, without Castellanos and with Adolis Garcia and Justin Crawford, among other changes, can help spark a World Series push.

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