SAN DIEGO — The day before the Phillies released Nick Castellanos in February, he called the team. Spring training had started. He was not mandated to be there; the report date for position players wasn’t for a few days. But he was ready.“I told them, ‘Hey, I’m coming,’” Castellanos said Monday at Petco Park. “And I was told not to go. So, I’m an employee. So, if I’m an employee, I’m going. Then make me not an employee and I don’t go.”So that was how it ended. Castellanos, whom the Phillies are paying $19.22 million not to play for them in 2026, was excited to face his former team this week. He’s hitting .190 with a .578 OPS for the San Diego Padres. They had him in right field and batting sixth in Monday’s series opener.Entering Monday, among 291 players with at least 100 plate appearances in 2026, Castellanos’ minus-0.7 fWAR ranked 286th. He came to San Diego as a bench player; most of his time in April was spent as a platoon designated hitter and sometimes first baseman. He has since received more playing time in right field as the Padres use Fernando Tatis Jr. as a second baseman.What has made adjusting to a lesser role easier in 2026 than in 2025?“Communication, for sure,” Castellanos said.How is the communication here different than in Philadelphia?“I think that you can fill in the blanks on that,” Castellanos said. “You know?”Castellanos, during a six-minute interview, did not hide his disdain for former Phillies manager Rob Thomson. The two periodically clashed during their time together in Philadelphia. The Phillies and Castellanos had a fractured relationship that culminated in his release on Feb. 12. Three days later, he signed with San Diego.He’s paid attention from afar. He was asked Monday about his reaction to the Phillies firing Thomson a month ago and installing Don Mattingly (wearing Castellanos’ No. 8) as interim manager.“Well, the decision is not mine to make,” Castellanos said. “But when they put Don into the manager’s seat, my thought was: right man, right spot. I think the fact that a father gets to work underneath his son is a beautiful thing. I think that baseball is a personal, family, authentic game, and I mean, honestly, what more of an authentic, genuine relationship can you have when you have a father like Don Mattingly and also a son like Preston, who I’ve been able to form a relationship with over the years, and how he goes about his business? I think it’s a beautiful thing.”Castellanos, who signed a five-year, $100 million deal with the Phillies in 2022, batted .260/.306/.426 in four seasons with the club. He had become a liability in right field and lost playing time last summer. Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski told Castellanos early in the offseason that the club would move on from him. It took months for a resolution.“They handled it the way that they handled it and, obviously, it led to me being in a tough spot at the end, not really knowing what was up,” Castellanos said. “But at the end of the day, I’m here. I’m in this clubhouse. This staff is great. They’ve really embraced me. I feel like the players have really embraced me. The front office consistently asks me questions about how I see things.”The Phillies and Padres will play six times over the next 10 days. Next week, Castellanos will return to Citizens Bank Park. There will be moments to reflect.He might not say it, but he is motivated to prove a point.“I mean, it is what it is,” Castellanos said. “I don’t have no hard feelings. They’re an organization that’s doing what they feel like is necessary for them to win, and they’re making decisions, and that led me to San Diego. I’m enjoying myself, and I’m getting to be teammates with new guys. Everything happens for a reason.”May 25, 2026Connections: Sports EditionSpot the pattern. Connect the termsFind the hidden link between sports terms