Nick Castellanos blasts Phillies media over February story
nick castellanos took aim at Phillies media this past week, saying a February story about his time in Philadelphia was more interested in controversy than truth. He said the reaction to the piece showed the character of the media in Philadelphia, reopening a story that had already spread quickly after it was published.
Castellanos and the Miami incident
The dispute centers on a Miami incident from seven months before the February article, when Castellanos was benched and brought a beer into the dugout in the middle of a game. In February, The Athletic’s Matt Gelb wrote about that episode, and Castellanos later posted his own explanation letter on Instagram after the story went live.
This past week, Castellanos told Annie Heilbrunn that the coverage went too far. He said, “That just kind of shows, for me, the character of the media that’s over there,” and added, “Because that (incident) happened seven months (before the article was published)... They’d rather be controversial than truthful.”
Padres slump, Phillies struggle
The comments came while Castellanos was with the San Diego Padres, who were 18-8 and owned the best record in Major League Baseball. He was 7-for-48 at the plate, a number that has left him far short of matching San Diego’s strong start.
Philadelphia’s 9-18 record sits at the other end of the standings. Castellanos’ criticism lands against a former team that was already dealing with the worst record in Major League Baseball, while the story itself keeps circling back to the same dugout episode and the explanation he tried to put out after it became public.
For readers following the fallout, the next development is not another game or lineup card. It is whether the February story keeps following Castellanos as he tries to steady his season in San Diego while his comments keep the Philadelphia episode in view.
Gelb story and backlash
The February piece about Castellanos was the trigger, but the response did not end there. Ex-teammates on the Phillies told him Gelb had been sitting on the story for a long time, and Castellanos said he believed the timing was meant to stir up controversy rather than give an honest account.
That leaves the old Miami dugout moment attached to a new argument about coverage, not just performance. Castellanos has already answered once with his Instagram letter, and his latest remarks show he is still treating the story as more than a one-day headline.
