Full Breakdown
Padres Designate Nick Castellanos for Assignment Amid Offensive Struggles
6/4/2026, 5:20:28 AM
Core Decision: DFA of Nick Castellanos
On June 3, 2026, the San Diego Padres removed veteran outfielder/first baseman Nick Castellanos from their 40-man roster, designating him for assignment (DFA) while the club was playing in Philadelphia. The move followed a 39-game stint in which Castellanos posted a .191 batting average and a .560 OPS. The Padres immediately promoted infielder/outfielder Samad Taylor from Triple-A El Paso to fill the roster spot.
Background & Context
Castellanos was released by the Philadelphia Phillies in February 2026, a month before the season’s first full-squad workout. The Phillies continued to owe him roughly $20 million on the final year of a five-year, $100 million contract. San Diego signed him to a one-year league-minimum deal (? $780,000) hoping his two-time All-Star pedigree would bolster a lineup that had struggled offensively.
Performance Data
In 39 games (122 plate appearances) with the Padres, Castellanos recorded 22 hits, four home runs, 20 RBIs, 34 strikeouts and five doubles. His slash line was .191/.221/.339, translating to a .560 OPS and a –0.8 fWAR rating. Career figures listed by multiple sources include a .270 batting average, 254 home runs and 940 RBIs over 1,727 games.
Official Statements & Responses
Padres manager Craig Stammen emphasized the role change:
> “We had conversations with him when we signed him that he was going to earn his playing time. It was probably going to be a different role for him… not an everyday role that he had been accustomed to for the last 12, 15 years of his entire life playing baseball.”
The organization also noted a desire for “more speed, more dynamic players” when discussing roster flexibility. A Padres tweet confirmed the transaction, stating the club “selected the contract of INF/OF Samad Taylor from Triple-A El Paso. Taylor will wear No. 0.”
Criticism & Opposition
Third-base star Manny Machado publicly questioned the move’s impact on the lineup. He said:
> “The issue is not Nick. I don’t think that was the move to try to make this offense better. For us to get to where we want to get to, it’s going to take the big guys in the middle of the order to swing the bats hot, and we’re not doing that right now.”
Machado added that the decision left him “holding the sword” as the team’s top performers continued to struggle.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Sources differ on the total games Castellanos appeared in: most list 39 games, while one report mentions 59 games with 39 appearances. Plate-appearance counts vary between 115 and 122. Minor statistical variations (e.g., hit totals of 22 versus 20) appear across outlets, reflecting differing cut-off dates for data collection.
Why It Matters / Impact
The DFA underscores San Diego’s urgency to improve a lineup that ranked near the bottom of the National League in OPS (.656) and runs per game (3.9). By freeing a roster spot for a more versatile bench player, the Padres aim to add speed and defensive flexibility ahead of a busy trade-deadline period. The decision also highlights the challenges veteran power hitters face when transitioning to part-time roles on contending clubs.
What’s Next
Samad Taylor joins the active roster, offering multi-position depth. Castellanos now enters waivers; any claiming team would assume only a prorated portion of his league-minimum salary. If he clears waivers, he will become a free agent, likely seeking a club willing to provide regular playing time. The Padres retain seven days to trade, release, or reassign him, while the broader roster conversation continues as the season approaches its midpoint.
