WILL PHILS CASTELLANOS LIVE UP TO HIS $100M CONTRACT THIS SEASON?
By Sally Fahey
After signing a four-year, $100 million contract, Nick Castellanos slashed just .263/.305/.389 with 13 home runs, 62 RBIs and a career-low .694 OPS last season.
He hit well in April, but he struggled in May. It carried into the summer. Castellanos seemed to be finally turning a corner late summer — he batted .318 with an .833 OPS in 34 games from July 25 to Sept. 2 — when he landed on the IL with a strained right oblique and turf toe.
On Opening Day the location of his new home in South Jersey had been made public. He got booed at times, too.
“Personally, it was the hardest year,” Castellanos said.
“From a team standpoint, it was the best. I think it was just having everything move as fast as it did. I wasn’t comfortable at home. I wasn’t comfortable here. I wasn’t comfortable anywhere.”
