The Philadelphia Phillies have officially moved on from Nick Castellanos, and the veteran outfielder didn’t let the moment pass quietly. Instead of a routine farewell, he released a handwritten note thanking the city while finally explaining the long-rumored “Miami incident” that had lingered since last season.
What Happened in Miami
According to Castellanos, the situation began when he was pulled late in a close game in Miami, a move that frustrated him. He admitted he brought a beer into the dugout, but said he never drank it because teammates took it away before he could.
He also acknowledged that, as a veteran, he crossed a line, and described sitting next to manager Rob Thomson to vent about what he felt were inconsistent clubhouse standards.
After the game, Castellanos says he met with Thomson and president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski, apologized, and wanted to publicly explain the situation the next day. He claims he was instructed not to address it at the time.
Why It Matters Now
When the incident originally happened, the only public explanation was that Castellanos had been benched for an “inappropriate comment.”
That decision:
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Ended his long consecutive-starts streak
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Sparked clubhouse speculation
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Became one of the more mysterious internal stories of the Phillies’ season
With his release, Castellanos clearly wanted to control the narrative and offer his version of events before entering free agency.
Castellanos’ Phillies Tenure by the Numbers
Over four seasons in Philadelphia, he produced:
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Slash line: .260 / .306 / .426
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Home runs: 82
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RBIs: 326
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Stolen bases: 28
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Games played: 602
While streaky at times, he was a durable middle-of-the-order presence and a key contributor during multiple postseason runs.
What Comes Next
At 33 years old, Castellanos now hits the market as a power-capable corner outfielder with playoff experience and a reputation for playing every day. The public clarification of the Miami situation may help teams view the episode as a contained veteran frustration rather than a lingering clubhouse issue.
For the Phillies, the move signals a shift toward roster turnover and clubhouse reset, while Castellanos gets a fresh start—and, finally, the chance to tell his side of a story that followed him for nearly a year.
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