When the San Diego Padres signed outfielder Nick Castellanos for the veteran's minimum in February, it looked like president of baseball operations A.J. Preller may have gotten the steal of the offseason. Castellanos, a two-time All-Star, was released by the Philadelphia Phillies after a tumultuous 2025 season . Philadelphia remained on the hook for nearly $20 million of his salary, but felt it was better to move on from him. That turned into a great opportunity for the Padres. Castellanos began trying out at first base, and has played both first and the outfield this season while also getting at-bats as the designated hitter. Unfortunately, the bat that took him to two All-Star Games is nowhere to be found early in 2026. Across 16 games, Castellanos is just 7-for-48 (.146) with zero home runs, five runs batted in, 14 strikeouts and an OPS of .404. He's been a below-average defender — albeit in limited action — and has just one start since April 18.…