SAN DIEGO — The ending of Nick Castellanos’ tenure in Philadelphia felt inevitable after the 2025 season.

The writing was on the wall.

He was entering the final year of his five-year, $100 million deal after a turbulent campaign in which he posted full-season career lows in batting average and on-base percentage and tied a career low in OPS.

That came with an in-season benching by manager Rob Thomson after an incident involving an open beer can in the dugout and a part-time role by the end of the season after the Phillies acquired Harrison Bader at the Trade Deadline and promoted Otto Kemp.

After a long offseason with his name in roster discussions, Castellanos said Monday at Petco Park that when it came time to report to Spring Training, he was not welcomed.

“I told them, ‘Hey, I’m coming,’ and I was told not to go,” Castellanos said. “I’m an employee. So, if I’m an employee, I’m going, then make me not an employee. Now I’m not going. And that’s the way it ended up.”

The Phillies are in San Diego for a three-game series against the Padres that begins Monday on Memorial Day. For Castellanos, it will be his first time facing the organization he played for over the previous four seasons.

There are still plenty of familiar faces.

“I’m excited to see a lot of my guys, for sure,” Castellanos said.

He said a few former teammates reached out by phone, and he has stayed in contact with some of them through text.

His exit from Philadelphia was complicated. Castellanos had voiced before that the communication was not strong, especially when he became a part-time player. He also made clear over the years that he valued communication and experience from former players in leadership roles.

That part of the transition to San Diego has stood out most.

Asked what has made playing a part-time role easier with the Padres than it was last season with the Phillies, Castellanos did not hesitate.

“Communication, for sure,” he said.

And how communication has been different, Castellanos kept it brief.

“I think that you can fill in the blanks on that,” he said.

Castellanos said he would have been open to returning to Philadelphia in a similar role.

“For sure,” he said. “I always answer my phone when anybody calls me.”

But the Phillies moved on. Castellanos signed with San Diego in mid-February after camps had opened. Padres manager Craig Stammen, a 13-year big leaguer and former Padre, became a better fit for Castellanos at this stage.

Castellanos said he has enjoyed the adjustment.

“Great,” he said. “Good group. I feel like everybody goes about it really the right way. A.J. thinks outside the box, which I appreciate, and I’m enjoying it.”

After being released by the Phillies, Nick Castellanos talks about agreeing to a 1-year deal with the Padres and what went wrong in Philadelphia.

But he was careful not to frame the Phillies split as bitterness.

“What am I going to do, just sit here and start thinking about a bunch of stuff and be playing judge and jury?” Castellanos said. “I could do that, but that’s not going to help anybody or make any situation better.

“They handled it the way that they handled it, and obviously, it led to me being in a tough spot again, not really knowing what was up. But at the end of the day, I’m here. I’m in this clubhouse, and the staff is great.”

The Padres have made him feel included in a way that matters to him.

“They’ve embraced me,” Castellanos said. “I feel like the players have embraced me. The front office consistently asks me questions about how I see things. When they talk back to you, it’s straight, which is great because then I know what’s up. I don’t have to think or speculate.”

The Phillies are still paying Castellanos more than $19 million to play for one of their National League rivals. They turned to Adolis García, who was non-tendered by the Rangers in December, to play right field on a one-year, $10 million deal.

The hope was for García to regain the production he showed from 2022-23 in Texas and avoid the issues that followed him over the last two seasons with the Rangers, when he posted a .675 OPS.

So far, the first-year Phillies outfielder has struggled at the plate. García is hitting .203 with 12 extra-base hits, 15 RBIs and a .607 OPS in 52 games. That OPS is the 11th lowest among qualified hitters in the National League.

At the very least, the Phillies have gotten strong defensive production from García. He has posted three outs above average, which ranks in the top 11 percent of fielders.

Castellanos rated among baseball’s lowest defenders during his Phillies tenure. Even in limited action this season with San Diego, he sits at minus-4 outs above average in 35 games.

In four seasons with the Phillies, Castellanos produced a .260/.306/.426 slash line, averaging more than 20 homers and 80 RBIs per season. The Phillies reached the postseason in all four years, and Castellanos still views that period with appreciation.

“Great, man,” Castellanos said. “It was a lot of winning. Obviously, we fell short of winning the World Series, which is the ultimate goal. But four straight trips to the postseason, deep into the postseason, a lot of memorable moments, a lot of sad moments. But it’s going to be a part of my life that I remember forever.”

The Miami incident will likely remain one of the lasting moments from his final season with the Phillies, especially after the farewell note he published on social media. Castellanos framed it Monday as something he has tried to learn from.

“I think that I just had a lot of pent-up emotion and frustration that all came out pretty colorfully in the moment,” Castellanos said. “Obviously not ideal, but everything that I said was 100 percent genuine.”

From reported immediate tensions, to a dugout beer, to a hand written note, Phillies managers and players wish Nick Castellanos the best in his next endeavor

The lesson, he said, was about handling frustration earlier.

“If I feel something that upsets me or doesn’t sit right, I’m doing better at just saying it immediately then,” Castellanos said. “Things are always easier to handle one step at a time, instead of having to run and jump over a whole staircase because all of these things have compiled. That’s where I feel like I can be better.”

In his 14th big league season, Castellanos has also struggled with San Diego. He is hitting .190 with four homers and what would be a career-low .578 OPS. He is in a similar part-time role to the one he held late last season in Philadelphia.

The Padres, meanwhile, are 31-21 and hold the top Wild Card spot in the National League.

The Phillies are 26-27, though they have played better since Don Mattingly took over.

Castellanos has noticed the change.

“They’re a great team,” Castellanos said. “I feel like, also, Don is doing a great job, and they seem to have been playing well since he was put into his position, which, rightfully so. One of the most talented teams in all of baseball.”

Mattingly, a former big league star, fits the mold of the type of manager Castellanos has said he values. When Thomson was fired and Mattingly took over, Castellanos had a simple reaction.

“Right man, right spot,” Castellanos said.

He also pointed to the dynamic between Don Mattingly and his son, Preston, the Phillies’ general manager.

“I think the fact that a father gets to work underneath his son is a beautiful thing,” Castellanos said. “Baseball is a personal, family, authentic game. 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’ time with the Phillies included postseason runs, memorable moments and friction. It ended earlier than expected, with both sides moving in different directions.

He says there are no hard feelings.

“It is what it is,” Castellanos said. “They’re an organization that’s doing what they feel like is necessary for them to win, and they’re making decisions. That led me to San Diego, which I’m enjoying. I’m getting to be teammates with new guys. Everything happens for a reason.”