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EspañolCastellanos prefers managers with relatable track: 'emotions still intact' originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
There were a number of hiccups toward the end of Nick Castellanos’ tenure in Philadelphia.
When the club released the 34-year-old, Matt Gelb of The Athletic published an investigative piece on what actually transpired behind closed doors and inside the dugout.
One of the central issues: Castellanos’ “disdain” for manager Rob Thomson and hitting coach Kevin Long. An intriguing note, given how well-respected both men are across baseball.
The reported reason was that Castellanos didn’t fully respect the tandem because neither played professionally. So when he hit free agency, where did he land?
With the San Diego Padres, led by first-year manager Craig Stammen, a 41-year-old who spent 13 seasons as a big-league reliever, six with San Diego, before retiring after 2022.
“I have a lot of good relationships with the coaches just because they all have been playing recently,” Castellanos told the Ben & Woods show on 97.3 The Fan in San Diego on Wednesday.
“I really enjoy talking to coaches that have put it down within the last decade. Their emotions are still intact. They talk to you from a physical standpoint, but there’s also a lot of emotional relatability there because they’re still connected,” he said.
Castellanos, entering his 14th big-league season, has experience with player-managers.
In his second season in 2014, the Tigers, under Dave Dombrowski, hired Brad Ausmus, who played 18 seasons in the majors, won three Gold Gloves behind the dish and had retired just four years prior. Castellanos played four seasons under Ausmus.
There’s no shortage of successful managers and hitting coaches throughout baseball history who never played at the big-league level. Hall-of-Famer Jim Leyland, whom Castellanos coincidentally played 11 games for in his first season in 2013, Earl Weaver and Buck Showalter never appeared in the majors.
It’s a personal preference, and one that may help explain why Castellanos was at least comfortable signing with the Joe Girardi-led Phillies ahead of 2022.
The emotional relatability he described is something he takes genuine pride in. As he walked off the field for the final time in a Phillies uniform after Game 4 of the NLDS, he stopped to console Orion Kerkering as they neared the dugout.
“The play happened. It’s over. So immediately my attention went to him,” Castellanos said of Kerkering’s series-ending throwing error. “I don’t know what that exact situation feels like, but I know what it’s like to be on a field with 40,000 people and lose it — let alone in that moment in the playoffs. I’ve had moments where I felt that low. I had to make sure I was right next to him.”
Castellanos’ character as a teammate was questioned throughout Gelb’s piece, which drew from more than a dozen anonymous players and coaches. Whatever you make of those accounts, his response to Kerkering in that moment was hard to dismiss.
In San Diego, Castellanos projects as the oldest position player to break camp, and he’ll be leaned on as a veteran presence alongside his childhood friend, Manny Machado. His role isn’t yet defined. He’s taken most of his reps at first base but has made it clear he’ll go wherever allows him to get his bat in the lineup the most.
“The thing that has gotten me to the big leagues is that I’m a kid who believes in himself and knows he can hit,” Castellanos said. “Craig just said, ‘hey, you ready to go back to the outfield?’ I’ll do whatever you need. I’ll play first. I’ll play left. If [Fernando] Tatis needs a blow, I’ll play right. I’ll DH.”
The Padres leaned heavily on the bargain market late in the offseason. Within a week, the club added Castellanos, utility man Miguel Andújar and starters Germán Márquez, Griffin Canning and Walker Buehler, the latter on a minor league deal.
The Castellanos-Phillies storyline won’t quiet down anytime soon. Philadelphia heads to Petco Park from May 26-28, and Castellanos returns to Citizens Bank Park from June 2-4. That should be fun.