Phillies Release Nick Castellanos; Manager Proud of Beer Incident Admission

The Phillies released Nick Castellanos on Thursday, owing him $20 million for his final contract year. Manager Rob Thomson expressed pride that Castellanos admitted to bringing a beer into the dugout last June after being pulled from a game, a rule break Castellanos detailed in a handwritten letter. While Thomson benched him for an "inappropriate comment" the next day, President Dave Dombrowski cited Castellanos' declining production (.250 AVG, 17 HR, 72 RBIs; .133 AVG in Division Series) and poor defense (-12 OAA) as primary factors for the release. The Phillies have already signed Adolis Garcia as a replacement.