After being pulled from Friday’s victory down the stretch in favor of a defensive replacement, Nick Castellanos voiced his frustration about being removed from the game. When asked about dealing with being pulled, Castellanos said: “It’s a big adjustment.” When a reporter followed up by asking if that was difficult, Castellanos replied: “Yes.” While this may not seem like a big deal, fans familiar with his track record are fed up, and the public reaction shows those comments haven’t aged well among the Philadelphia Phillies faithful.
One fan commenting on the matter said: “I’m tired of his act.” Another said: “I can’t wait until he’s gone.” Why are fans so quick to side against Castellanos? Two reasons. First, this is not the only time Castellanos has been unhappy after being removed from a game. In June, Castellanos “crossed the line” when speaking to manager Rob Thomson about being pulled. That outburst resulted in Castellanos being benched the next day.
Second, Castellanos has struggled defensively. His Fielding Run Value and Defensive Runs Saved both sit at minus-12 this season. That places him in the first percentile, trailing nearly everyone else in the majors. Currently, Castellanos ranks last in Fielding Run Value among qualified major leaguers and fourth-worst in Outs Above Average. Not to mention, the player replacing him in this game was former Gold Glove Award winner Harrison Bader, whom Philadelphia acquired at the trade deadline for this very reason.
Bader is known throughout the league as a strong defender at all three outfield positions and was even labeled by Thomson as “our best defender.” Bader ranks in the 87th percentile in Fielding Run Value and the 93rd percentile in Outs Above Average.
With postseason baseball right around the corner, Phillies fans are hopeful Castellanos’ ego does not get in the way of team success.
