Looks like Nick Castellanos’s unemployed status will soon be remedied. The Phillies let the controversial outfielder go just months after he had a beer in the dugout and had a bad season. He quickly found a new home. A team worth $1.95 billion swooped in to get him for a very low price. This turned Philadelphia’s clubhouse problem into a low-risk chance for someone else, which is already causing a divide among baseball fans.

The wait ended when insider Jon Heyman broke the news on X: “Nick Castellanos close to Padres deal.” The Phillies Tailgate account quickly crunched the numbers, tweeting: “The Phillies will save $780,000 with Castellanos signing with the Padres. Phillies $19,220,000, Padres $780,000.” San Diego is getting a former All-Star for league minimum while Philadelphia foots the massive bill.

The financial deal explains why the Padres jumped on it so quickly. In 2022, Castellanos signed a five-year, $100 million deal after hitting .309/.362/.576. However, he never hit that well again in Philadelphia. Last season, he hit .260 with 17 home runs and 72 RBIs, but his defense got worse, with -12 outs above average and -11 defensive runs saved. Even though he has gotten worse, the fact that the Phillies are paying him $19.22 million and the Padres are only paying $780,000 makes him almost risk-free for San Diego.

The tension in the clubhouse that led to his release began in Miami when manager Rob Thomson took Castellanos out of a close game to play defense. What did he say? Bringing a Presidente beer into the dugout and talking to Thomson about how to run the team. Later, Castellanos said on Instagram, “I brought a Presidente into the dugout. I then sat right next to Rob and let him know that too much slack in some areas and too tight restrictions in others are not conducive to us winning.” As punishment, he didn’t play in the next game.

Some Padres fans like the move, while others don’t. Some see a power bat that doesn’t cost much and would have ranked fourth on their team in home runs and second in RBIs, even though he had a bad year. Others wonder why a $1.95 billion franchise needs to deal with clubhouse problems, even if it means paying the league minimum.

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Padres fans are divided over Nick Castellanos signing after the beer incident

The news sparked a debate among Padres fans that showed how badly the team needed offense despite worries about Castellanos’s off-field issues. People on social media had a wide range of reactions, from cautious optimism to outright doubt about whether a player who brought beer into the dugout should be in San Diego’s clubhouse.

“Castellanos heading to the Padres makes sense. They needed lineup help, and he gets a fresh start. If his swing’s right, he could boost their postseason chances,” said a fan who focused on the baseball fit. This point of view is based on facts: last season, San Diego was 23rd in slugging, and Castellanos’s 17 home runs would have been the fourth-best on their roster, while his 72 RBIs would have been the second-best, fixing a clear offensive weakness.

One person said, “Not a surprise.” The Padres needed a right-handed hitter to play, which shows how long the team has been looking for right-handed power. Fans had been telling GM A.J. Preller to get another bat after Eugenio Suarez and Marcel Ozuna signed with other teams. Castellanos fits that bill and only costs the league minimum, with Philadelphia covering the rest of the $19.22 million.

“They better lock that beer in the clubhouse,” said another person who couldn’t stop thinking about what happened in Miami. The comment brings up concerns that Castellanos brought a Presidente beer into the Phillies dugout after being pulled from a game, then confronted manager Rob Thomson about how the team was being run, and was benched the next day as punishment.

Someone said, “Padres really that down bad?” and wondered if a team worth $1.95 billion should be dealing with Philadelphia’s clubhouse issues. Some fans are worried that Castellanos’s Instagram apology, in which he said, “I will learn from this,” and his dugout fight and career-worst defense (-12 OAA, -11 DRS) show that there are problems that go beyond just one beer incident.

“To do what exactly?” was another response that showed doubt about Castellanos’s ability to make a real difference. He hit an average of 20 home runs in four seasons in Philadelphia, but his. Last year, he hit an average of 260, which was a big drop from his .309/.362/.576 All-Star season with Cincinnati that got him a $100 million contract in 2022.

The argument demonstrates San Diego’s perspective because the team requires offensive assistance so urgently that they are prepared to sign a player with verified locker room issues, because they consider the $780,000 cost to be a justifiable risk.