There's no obvious fit for Nick Castellanos after Padres DFA

May 22, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres right fielder Nick Castellanos (21) pumps his fist after hitting a solo home run during the fifth inning against the Athletics at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images

The San Diego Padres decided that Nick Castellanos' time with the organization had run out on Wednesday, designating the veteran for assignment. 

San Diego's decision was made for one simple reason: Castellanos failed to provide much of anything at the plate. 

In 39 games with the Padres, the 34-year-old hit .191/.221/.339 with four home runs and 20 RBIs to go along with a dreadful .560 OPS. 

Add in Castellanos' historically poor defense in the outfield, and the Padres were left with a player who, frankly, didn't deserve a roster spot on a contending team's bench. 

That leaves the 34-year-old in DFA limbo. The Padres have seven days to decide what the next steps are with Castellanos. In all likelihood, he will be released for the second time following his departure from the Philadelphia Phillies in February. 

Time will tell if there's a club out there willing to give the two-time All-Star another chance to prove himself worthy as a middle-of-the-order bat. 

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Castellanos was an All-Star just three seasons ago with the Phillies, hitting 29 home runs with a .788 OPS. 

There's no perfect fit for Castellanos, but another organization may believe they have the hitting coaches and tools available to return him to form. 

He has hit over 254 career homers, so clubs that rank near the bottom of the power department (Milwaukee Brewers, Arizona Diamondbacks, Cleveland Guardians) could show some level of interest. 

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