PHILADELPHIA — The problem for Nick Castellanos was similar to the problem with the Padres.
Some big hits to help win games, but not nearly enough sustained success.
Castellanos was designated for assignment on Wednesday, a little less than four months after signing a one-year contract for the MLB minimum.
The 34-year-old Castellanos, who is in his 14th season, was batting .191/.221/.339 with four home runs.
His lack of production is not anywhere near the Padres’ biggest problem. But they can’t DFA Manny Machado, who is being paid to be their best hitter but began Wednesday with the major leagues’ lowest batting average (.171) and an OPS (.609) that ranked 148th out of 160 qualifying hitters.
“The issue is not Nick,” Machado said. “I don’t think that was the move to try to make this offense better. For us to get to where we want to get to, it’s going to take the big guys in the middle of the order to swing the bats hot, and we’re not doing that right now.”
Indeed, the Padres do not see moving on from Castellanos as the panacea for an offense with the major leagues’ lowest average (.218) and second-lowest OPS (.656).
What the Padres are trying to do is create a different vitality to their attack while they wait for Machado and Jackson Merrill (.205/.277/.329) to start hitting as expected and/or for a trade for a left-handed hitter to materialize.
So, a day after Jase Bowen was called up to replace outfielder Ramón Laureano, who went on the injured list with right hip inflammation, the Padres on Wednesday called up speedy outfielder Samad Taylor to take Castellanos’ place.
“We’ve been talking a little bit about our roster and the flexibility that we’d like to have with the bench — maybe a little bit more speed, little bit more dynamic players,” manager Craig Stammen said. “With our last two guys we brought up … we got a little bit more element of speed, some defense, some versatility that we can use on the bench.
“We’re not changing the core of what our offense is. The goal of the offense is to score more runs than what we’ve been scoring. I know that’s going to happen. … Just trying to change it up a little bit, see if maybe that’s the right formula to get kick-started a little bit, get this offense going a little bit. Get our team going a little bit. It’s not necessarily the offense, but just, ‘How can we play some team baseball?’”
Thing is, no one is actually denying it is the offense. The Padres enter Wednesday’s game with a 32-27 record, fourth best in the National League. However, they have lost seven of their past eight games and scored two or fewer runs in eight of their past 13 games. Castellanos was 4-for-27 (.148) over that span.
Bowen has some power and plays solid defense at all three outfield spots. Taylor, who has appeared in 34 games for the Royals and Mariners over the past three seasons, can bunt and is better defensively than Castellanos. What they provide defensively is seen as a bonus to the athleticism the Padres believe they can add to the offense.
There was perhaps a hint regarding Castellanos’ standing when he did not pinch-hit for Bowen in the ninth inning of a one-run game Tuesday. Instead, Bowen was left in to face Phillies closer Jhoan Duran. Bowen struck out for the third time to end the 3-2 loss.
Before that game, Castellanos, who had started just three of the Padres’ previous eight games, received a hearty ovation when he was shown on the video board following a tribute video from his time with the Phillies.
He was released by Philadelphia before the start of spring training and signed with the Padres a few days later, on Feb. 14.
Castellanos began the season primarily coming off the bench while getting spot starts at designated hitter and first base. Beginning April 29, he started 15 of the Padres’ 23 games, 14 of those in right field and one in left.
He hit .235 with four home runs and two doubles in that span. One of his homers tied a game against the Cardinals with two outs in the ninth inning on May 10, and the Padres went on to win in 10 innings. Castellanos also put the Padres ahead for good with a two-run single in the fifth inning of their comeback victory over the Cubs on April 27. Those were two of the 10 times the Padres have come back to win a game in which they trailed by multiple runs.
Machado, who has known Castellanos since childhood, was clearly distressed by the move.
“He had a lot of great at-bats for us,” Machado said. “He did what he needed to do for us, and it sucks that it has come this way. I think everyone in here loved him and appreciated what he brought every single day. It sucks to hear the news. The numbers don’t really look great, in hindsight. But he … won some key games for us. I think that’s gonna help us get to where we want to get to.”
